ISTANBUL -  W Istanbul unveils its latest nightlife and culinary experience as it continues to be the leading contemporary lifestyle hotel in the cosmopolitan Turkish city. Featuring a constantly evolving nightlife scene, new culinary experiences and innovative fashion and design collaborations, W Istanbul was the first W hotel to open in Europe, introducing the W brand’s unique and distinctive New York-inspired programming.

Featuring 136 Ottoman-inspired guest rooms and suites, W Istanbul offers a stylish retreat from the city with private gardens, terraces and cabanas. Facilities include two signature restaurants – OKKA and Minyon, W Day Spa, SWEAT® state-of-the-art fitness centre, W Lounge, WIRED business centre and five meeting rooms. Guests can expect the brand’s signature Whatever/Whenever® service philosophy, providing guests whatever they want, whenever they want it.

“In 2008, W Istanbul was the first W hotel to open in Europe, and was followed by successful openings in Doha, Barcelona, London, St. Petersburg, and most recently, Paris,” comments Anthony Ingham, Vice President, Luxury and Design Brands, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East. “As part of the W brand’s commitment to cutting-edge design and industry innovation, W Istanbul continues to evolve and showcase what’s new and next in music, design and fashion to jet-setting guests and in-the-know locals.”

Vibrant Nightlife Programming
Managed in partnership with Istanbul’s leading nightspot operator, Emre Ergani, W Lounge is constantly buzzing with Turkish celebrities, socialites and international guests. W Lounge draws in the crowds with an ever changing programme of stylish collaborations and happening events, from Turkish and international fashion designer parties to contemporary photography exhibitions. Dogus Cabakcor, the resident DJ at W Lounge and one of Istanbul’s premier house DJs, shares the stage with renowned local and international DJs on Thursday nights and spins solo on Saturday.

New Culinary Experiences
The newly-opened OKKA serves bold Turkish classics, created by master chef Tolga Atalay in a contemporary bistro setting. These include pomegranate marinated chicken, rose petal crème brûleé, fried semolina stuffed with lamb, as well as mezze specialties and 25 variations of kebab. OKKA also offers the widest collection of locally produced wines in Istanbul, and Turkey’s only self-pour Raki service for guests to enjoy the popular Turkish anise-flavoured liquor. In a typical W take on tradition fused with technology, OKKA features the world’s first three-dimensional holographic belly dancer – a futuristic image that contrasts with the restaurant’s burnished leather wallpaper, alabaster marble bar, etched smoked mirror inlays and azure columns.

Minyon, which opened in 2011, offers stylishly casual dining in the hands of Chef Emre Capa, one of the rising culinary stars on Istanbul’s contemporary dining scene. The popular bar and restaurant is known for its creative international cuisine, complemented by live DJ performances and surprising street art by emerging local artists. Clued-in locals look forward to the buzzing yet intimate parties at Minyon on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights.


Innovative Design Collaborations
Committed to providing a platform for supporting and showcasing what’s new and next in fashion, W Istanbul partners with emerging local designers in conjunction with Istanbul Fashion Week. In the recent Fashion Week in February, W Istanbul worked with three emerging local designers, including Niyazi Erdogan, who created a menswear collection inspired by the vibrant, glamorous nights at W. The hotel also collaborates with Istanbul Design Week each fall to feature the newly minted W Hotels Designer of the Future award winners, support local young Turkish designers and host the premiere W Design Happening event.
 
Starwood and W Strengthen Presence in Europe, Middle East and Africa
In just four years, Starwood has grown its global luxury room count by 75 percent. In 2012, more than 60 percent of Starwood’s new hotels will be in the luxury and upper-upscale segment. In Europe, Middle East and Africa, Starwood continues to expand its W Hotels brand into some of the world’s most exciting and vibrant destinations, and the recent opening of W Paris - Opéra marks the sixth W hotel in the region. Starwood will open two additional W Hotels in Europe next year with the new W Milan and the brand’s first ski resort, W Verbier in Switzerland.

Starwood currently operates seven hotels throughout Turkey, including four in Istanbul – the newly opened Le Méridien Istanbul Etiler, W Istanbul, Sheraton Istanbul Maslak Hotel and Sheraton Istanbul Atakoy Hotel, as well as Sheraton Ankara Hotel & Convention Centre, Sheraton Cesme Hotel Resort & Spa, and The Lugal, a Luxury Collection hotel. The company is set to open three new hotels in Turkey in the next few years: Sheraton Adana Hotel, Sheraton Bursa Hotel, and Aloft Bursa.