W New Orleans is the newest in a line of boutique hotels developed by Startwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. Opened in March, the $20 million renovation of an existing 23-story hotel in New Orleans' Central Business District included redefining the 400-plus guestrooms, re-configuring the public spaces and repositioning the building's dialogue with the street.

In addition, the project required careful sequencing, an accelerated schedule and special attention to safety while the hotel remained open for business throughout the duration of construction.

Breathing new life into its surroundings, the W New Orleans renovations dramatically alter the public areas of the hotel and radically transform the exterior treatments of the hotel's tower base. Removing the existing "greenhouse" curtainwall construction below the tower, new limestone facing visually provides a more substantial foundation for the guestroom structure above. The new base condition successfully ties into the remainder of the existing brick podium, which is now painted clean white and accented by a central bamboo garden entry that creates an active urban edge at the sidewalk.

Relocating building entrances, repositioning the interior registration desk and updating the hotel motor court afford opportunities for exciting new passages into the building, as well as provide a greater connection to the life of the street. The large fountain, which previously blocked off the motor court, was removed and replaced with a low reflecting pool. The new motor court design allows clear visual access to the entry and a bright, open alternative to the original scheme.