W brand’s biggest Asian hotel stages a premiere in Xi’an
Party pays homage to city’s ancient glories, its fashionable 21st century vigor
W Xi’an holds a premiere in mid-November to showcase the combination of its brand value with local culture.
A premiere for W Xi’an, W Hotels Worldwide’s seventh hotel in China and the largest W property in the Asia-Pacific region, was held on Nov 15 in Shaanxi’s provincial capital, a historic city that has been a popular stop along the Silk Road since ancient times and capital of 13 dynasties in Chinese history. W Hotels Worldwide is part of Marriott International.
W Xi’an is set to “add a new beat to the pulse of a city whose history spans back over three millennia”, according to a statement from the website of Marriott International. The hotel reinterprets the rich historical, social and physical contexts of the city through the modern lens of the W brand, the statement said.
Owned by Vanzhong Real Estate and located in the city’s Qujiang district, adjacent to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, the Datang Furong Garden and other well-known attractions, the property spreads across 80,000 square meters and boasts 385 guest rooms and suites as well as more than 4,000 sq m of event space.
A 40-minute drive from Xi’an Xianyang International Airport, Northwest China’s largest international travel hub, the hotel also enjoys convenient transportation.
Before W Xi’an started running on Aug 20, the W Hotels brand had opened six facilities in China — in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou and Taipei.
To celebrate the opening of W Xi’an, the brand has launched three customized cocktails that feature the profound culture of Xi’an.
The guests at W Xi’an not only get to know the culture of Xi’an but can also feel the vigor of the modern, fashionable city, Bruce Ryde, Asia-Pacific vice-president for luxury brands and brand marketing at Marriott International in Hong Kong, said at the event, dubbed “Dazzle the dynasty”.
The city’s music elements, ranging from the traditional Qinqiang Opera to the modern rock genre, conform to the spirit of the W Hotels brand, he added.
Anthony Ingham, global brand leader of W Hotels Worldwide, said, “W Xi’an shows off our ability to, like the city itself, innovate.
“From the hotel’s bold and complex design to its many hidden homages to millennia of history, we are ready to add a new level to the city’s everevolving offerings for global guests.”
A fashion show that reproduced a guest welcoming ceremony in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) was staged in W Xi’an’s 17-meter-high living room at the premiere.
The room is a showpiece of the hotel’s inspired design, which boasts lighted floating curves, hanging artistic details and sloping divisions sweeping up from the floor, each inspired by the famous palace wall and historic depictions of the Silk Road.
Artworks of acrobatic pottery figurines pay tribute to the time-honored ceremony, luring guests to explore further.
The ceremony was divided into six episodes, each with a show dedicated to the beautiful women, poets, imperial concubines, night fairs and city landscapes of the dynasty.
Music featuring a combination of the dynasty’s traditional instruments and modern electronic ones was played during the shows. A dazzling acrobatic performance using swings was staged to show the inclusiveness of the Tang Dynasty.