MINNEAPOLIS
- September 18, 2008 - W Hotels Worldwide, the fastest growing luxury hotel
brand in the world, unveils its latest insider escape with the grand opening
of W Minneapolis-The Foshay. Built within one of the country�s most inspiring
and iconic art deco buildings, W Minneapolis-The Foshay is situated at
the point where pop culture meets classic architecture, indie music meets
high fashion, and world-class theater meets urban art. This sleek, film
noir-inspired hotel, designed by Munge Leung: Design Associates in collaboration
with W Hotels� award-winning design team, features 229 guest rooms, including
18 luxurious suites, a state-of-the-art gym, a full-service WIRED business
center, 6,700 square feet of meeting and event space and the only observation
deck in the city. Owned by Foshay Hotel LLC, W Minneapolis-Foshay also
features Prohibition, a speakeasy-inspired bar perched on the hotel�s 27th
floor and Manny�s, a word-class steakhouse.
�Today, we proudly unveil the new W Minneapolis-The Foshay, combining
iconic architecture, urban sophistication and innovative design to create
the ultimate insider escape,� said Phil McAveety, Executive Vice President
and Chief Brand Officer, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. �With the opening
of W Minneapolis-The Foshay, W Hotels brings a vibrant new destination
to this dynamic cultural capital, offering extraordinary experiences and
signature lifestyle elements to sophisticated travelers and local Twin
Cities loyalists.�
�The public�s response to the transformation has been amazing,� said
Ralph Burnet, general partner, Foshay Hotel LLC. �The Foshay has been a
Twin Cities landmark for almost 80 years, but it needed some TLC. By transforming
it into a W Hotel, we�ve preserved its best features and given it a new
purpose and a new energy.�
For decades, the Foshay Tower was an unmistakable landmark on the Minneapolis
skyline. Modeled after the Washington Monument, the Foshay Tower was built
by multi-millionaire real estate developer Wilbur B. Foshay in 1929 and
was instantly heralded as a modern, art deco masterpiece. Truly unique
in form and design, the Foshay Tower was named to the National Historic
Register of Historic Places in 1978. The soaring 447 foot tower tapers
up from a 7,000 square foot base to a 3,800 square foot pinnacle. W Minneapolis-The
Foshay preserves many of the building�s original art deco design elements
including Italian marble, terrazzo floors, ornamental brass, bronze and
nickel accents, and its meticulously restored ornate plaster-molded arcade
ceiling.
All guest rooms and suites at W Minneapolis-The Foshay feature 36-inch
flat screen televisions, high-speed internet access, MP3 clock radio/docking
station and the W brand�s signature bed with feather-top mattress, including
350 thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets and a goose down comforter. In
addition to W Hotels� signature services, such as inspiring wake-up calls
and the pet-friendly P.A.W. (Pets Are Welcome) program, W Minneapolis-The
Foshay offers the W brand�s exclusive Whatever/Whenever® concierge
service, offering guests whatever they want, whenever they want it. Whether
guests want access to front-row seats at the hottest show in town or private
jet service, W Hotels� Whatever/Whenever agents are dedicated to fulfilling
the desires of every guest, no matter how big or small.
Prohibition
W Minneapolis-The Foshay�s destination bar on the 27th floor offering
a full bar and elegant gnoshing is set within the historic walls of Wilbur
Foshay�s former office and boardroom. A stylish escape at the top of the
world, Prohibition offers guests a speakeasy-inspired experience from another
era, with breathtaking panoramic views of the vibrant city below and preserved
design elements including the building�s original windows, stairs and African
mahogany woodwork. Mr. Foshay�s personal boardroom is available to guests
looking for a dramatic and unique private event space.
Manny�s Steakhouse
Perennially ranked as one of the top steakhouses in the country, Manny�s,
W Minneapolis-The Foshay�s signature restaurant, has been a Twin Cities�
culinary institution for 20 years. In a modern and stylish setting designed
by New York-based Roberts Moschella, guests and local insiders are invited
to indulge in premium dry-aged steaks, day-boat fresh seafood and locally-sourced
regional specialties. Manny�s features an award-winning wine and cocktail
menu and an exclusive reserve wine list, featuring rare vintages.
The Foshay Museum & Observation Deck
The Foshay Museum invites visitors and hotel guests to explore the
historic building�s rich and colorful history through photographs, newspaper
articles, letters, blueprints, film and audio recordings as well as artifacts
from the tower�s early years. Guests can soak in the sites from the hotel�s
exclusive open-air Observation Deck; the only observation site in the city,
offering panoramic views of Minneapolis/St. Paul and the surrounding suburbs.
While free to W guests, visitors to the Twin Cities are also welcome to
tour the museum and enjoy the views for a modest fee.
W Living Room
Sophistication meets sublime in W Minneapolis-The Foshay�s glamorous
new Living Room experience. Inspired by the roaring twenties, the art deco-infused
space is soon to be the ultimate insider�s destination, welcoming a variety
of leisure guests, celebrities, artists and business executives to mix,
mingle and relax. The W Living Room offers a sensory multiplex of contemporary
design and comfort, while embracing the historic elements the iconic building
offers. Guests are invited to relax in plush, oversized chairs, sip signature
vintage cocktails, snack on small plate specialties and play retro board
games while listening to live DJs spin as day transitions into night.
Meetings Wow at W Minneapolis-The Foshay
Featuring 6,700 square feet of meeting and event space equipped with
the latest wired and wireless technology, W Minneapolis-The Foshay is redefining
the city�s meetings experience, W Hotels style. The Great Room, a glamorous
3,080 square foot space, offers guests sweeping city views of downtown
Minneapolis, and is an ideal setting for a corporate or private event.
Add to the mix countless creative on-site W Hotels meeting specialists
who will eagerly turn ideas into reality � from a creative executive meeting
to a stylish cocktail party, a large-scale incentive trip to an intimate
gala dinner � W Minneapolis-The Foshay is the ultimate meetings experience
retailer.
About Foshay Hotel LLC
Foshay Hotel, LLC, is a group of private Twin Cities-based investors
led by real estate entrepreneur Ralph Burnet. Burnet�s other hospitality
interests include Chambers, an award-winning art hotel located in downtown
Minneapolis, and NBA City, a sports-themed restaurant with locations in
Orlando and Minneapolis.
About Munge Leung: Design Associates
Established in 1997, Munge Leung: Design Associates is among Canada�s
leading interior design firms. Munge Leung�s designs define lifestyle and
personality giving every project a distinctive timeless appeal. This international
award-wining firm has been recognized for its cutting edge solutions to
a diverse palette of projects ranging form high-end condominiums to luxury
hotels and resorts to trendy specialty restaurants establishments and nightclubs.
Munge Leung has been recognized by the Best of Canada Design competition,
IIDA Annual Interior Design Competition, Hospitality Design Magazine, Design
Exchange Awards and The Nationals � Sales & Marketing Awards.
About W Hotels Worldwide
W Hotels is a global luxury lifestyle brand with 24 properties in the
most vibrant destinations around the world. Inspiring, iconic, innovative
and influential, W Hotels provides the ultimate in insider access. |