Stanley Saitowitz of Natoma Architects Redesigns W San Francisco Hotel

W Hotel realizes that slowly but sure, the hotel industry is changing. Major hotel chains are used to dominate the market, now, it is slowly taken over by boutique hotels. To keep up with market changes, W Hotel is implementing new conceptual décor that redesigns all décor issues to bring this big box hotel back as a big player.

Stanley Saitowitz of Natoma Architects Redesigns W San Francisco

W Hotel was launched in 1998 in New York City, this hotel was famous for its New York look and feel through all its properties. But right now, they have decided to move forward from its standard consistency to more “localist” décor where they dress the hotel’s interior to celebrate the city where it’s located. If you notice, this idea has been implemented in outposts around the world such as “sea and sky”-themed for W Barcelona and “enchanted forest”-evoking for W Hongkong.

For W San Francisco, the hotel hires Stanley Saitowitz of Natoma Architects to redesign the first 2 floors. The project includes the lobby, forthcoming restaurant trace, and 2 bars. It began in April and is expected to be finished by November.

Michael Pace, W general manager said that they wanted to work with someone who has never done a hotel before, because they looked for a fresh look not hotel look alike décor. They also chose local person, someone who knows San Francisco, living and breathing San Francisco.

Stanley Saitowitz has been living in SF for 33 years, he is a perfect candidate for the project. Moreover, he also understands the appeal of localized décor. Saitowitz wants to design something unique, individual, and related to the place the hotel’s in. For W San Francisco concept, Saitowitz chose to go with darker look of San Francisco, portraying the night of the city using dark grays and purples for the color scheme.

Saitowitz went for a darker look at San Francisco, a night portrait of the city using dark grays and purples for the color scheme. His vision as an architect is so clearly evident in his work as an interior designer — the décor projects the sensation of being outside rather than in. Playing on Bierce’s “map,” the floor emulates the grid of the city, the furniture extruding from it as its buildings would. Playing on the “fog,” the dark color scheme gets lighter and cloudier as one ascends the the hotel, the fog becoming “densest” at the top, much as it would be standing atop San Francisco’s Twin Peaks. Guests can faintly make out the traces of city monuments on the walls. It’s truly reminiscent of San Francisco at night, the time when Saitowitz says “cities are most magical and fun.”

Stanley Saitowitz of Natoma Architects Redesigns W Hotel