Opened last February in the buzzing central business district of Xinyi, W Taipei has quickly made its mark as an electrifying sanctuary of serenity and energy, fusing Taiwan’s natural beauty with its urban core.

W Hotels, the hotel category buster and industry innovator, has brought a jolt of
high-voltage design to Taiwan with the debut of W Taipei last February. Located in the buzzing central business district of Xinyi — which is to Taipei what Manhattan is to New York City, W Taipei will be an electrifying sanctuary of serenity and energy in the heart of this bustling neighborhood, reflecting the surrounding natural beauty of the Cising Mountain and the Yangmingshan National Park. Designed by renowned architects G.A. Design International Ltd. of London and encased in radiant glass that goes up to 31 stories tall, W Taipei will be the only hotel in the city with a panoramic view of the uber-hip and vibrant Xinyi district as well as the iconic Taipei 101 Tower, one of the world’s tallest buildings stretching more than 500 meters into the sky. Upon arriving at the hotel, guests will marvel at The Chain — made of the strongest stainless steel with a mirror finish — that symbolically anchors the W Taipei building to Taipei city, as well as a gigantic green wall filled with plants organically grown in Taiwan, providing a refreshing welcome experience.

Stepping inside W Taipei, guests will experience an overall sensory immersion into W Hotels’ unique world of “Wow”. W Taipei presents a wondrous collection of design installations throughout the hotel that complements the design of the space. Upon entering the building, an interactive light installation flirts with guests, changing shape, look, and feel in sync with its surroundings. Created by rAndom International, a “W Hotels Designer of the Future”, the installation “To Light You Fade” is mounted on a reclaimed wooden wall on the ground floor and allows guests to engage with the light in an intuitive manner. Developed with custom software, this installation consists of several hundred unique OLEDs (organic light emitting diodes) from the world’s first ever production line in Aachen, Germany.

In the W Living Room, guests find a carpet of electric red flowers in front of the Welcome Desks that has been constructed from vertical stacks of “stripped” timber saplings. The Living Room is flanked by an 11-meter high W screen facing an equally tall fireplace, providing a modern, cozy place to curl up during cool Taipei evenings. With one entire side consisting of glass, the W Living Room is as much outside as it is inside with direct access to the wet pool skydeck through generous sliding glass panels. The wet pool skydeck features modern, clean lines surrounded by a boardwalk deck, open-style fire place, lush foliage and live green walls.

In W Taiwan’s signature WOOBAR, rich, natural Tunisian stone flooring, oversized white leather ottomans spread out across the space, echoing the water droplet design of the floor lights at the entryway and droplets of water from the pool. Towering 10-meter high with an adjustable ceiling depending on the time of the day, WOOBAR has a high-tech fireplace and a DJ island where world-class DJs control the state-of-the-art sound and light systems guaranteed to delight the most discerning club aficionado.

Back on the 10th floor, The Kitchen Table restaurant has been inspired by a light, airy garden cottage with a contemporary twist, where the interior is as bright as a sun-filled morning mixed with bold acid yellows and refreshing whites. The sub-tropical climate of Taipei has been considered in the design of The Kitchen Table — two walls of the space are fitted with extra-high sliding doors that will open to embrace the al fresco dining areas next to the wet pool skydeck. Finally, high atop W Taipei on the 31st floor is YEN, the hotel’s signature Cantonese restaurant and the first W-inspired Chinese restaurant in the world. YEN features floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase the pulsating Xinyi district and the ubiquitous neon current that unifies the city, extending to the natural mountain ranges that surround Taipei. YEN also showcases bold, original art pieces that incorporate traditional Chinese culinary tools of the trade.

W Taipei’s 405 guestrooms and suites, the largest of Taipei’s luxury hotels, have been designed as private sanctuaries inspired by nature with spectacular urban views. Warm-colored stones, burnished wood and lush electrified floral carpeting that contrast with modern, subtle lighting inspired by Chinese lantern boxes. An oversized vacation-style islander tub takes command in the bathroom, set against red or chartreuse subway-inspired wall tiles and a wooden partition.
Several guestrooms also comes with a deconstructed map, entitled “Where Are You,” mounted on a wooden wall, overlooking the surrounding Yangmingshan range of mountains that cradle the red-hot crucible  of electrifying Taipei. The deconstructed map is a representation of electrified Taipei and gives guests a sense of escape.
With design, character and luxury such as this, the W Taipei will definitely be the next destination for the
high-flying and well-heeled set from around the world