My friend Danielle and I had the unique opportunity to check out the new W Bellevue hotel, which will be opening its doors to the world on Thursday, June 15, 2017.
W Bellevue’s General Manager, Matt Van Der Peet, sat down with us and others in local media and gave us a slide presentation of the concept behind the hotel’s designs, what guests can expect and some of the upcoming events they will have prior to the hotel’s opening.
Matt was formerly the General Manager of the Westin Bellevue and was invited to manage W Bellevue. He remarked on how it has been phenomenal to watch the hotel being built from the ground up. The W Bellevue is the first W hotel to be built since the 2010 opening of W Austin (Texas).
The hotel will open so to speak on June 15, with a big reveal party mid-September. This style of opening is how all W’s make their mark on the world, with a grand party to celebrate a few months a property’s opening.
The hotel will include 13 floors with 220 guests rooms and 25 suites with the Extreme Wow Suite being the biggest and most spectacular of them all. Each room is around 400-500 square feet and all include a featured shower experience that you have to see to believe. The hotel boasts 10,000 square feet of meeting space, a 4,500 square foot ballroom, breakout rooms, board rooms and a library. There is also a 3,000 square foot fitness center with state of the art equipment and will include yoga and other classes, for hotel guests and the public as well. The interior design and decor are accented in silver, black and gray with simple architecture and clean lines. Luxury residences are also being built above the hotel itself (floors 14-42).
The hotel itself is designed after a lake house, tying Bellevue to its farming and fishing roots. Bellevue became more popular as an escape from the city of Seattle, allowing Seattleites to escape into the wilderness, tying forever its relationship with the scenic Cascade Mountains and the glass-like lakes.
The resounding theme of W Bellevue is, “Green meets global glamour.” Today, Bellevue sits as a destination where nature meets technology, high end retail, and dining. The hotel is part of the Lincoln Square expansion, which also includes a high-rise office tower, a Nordstrom Rack and upcoming chef-driven dining experiences.
When creating their design narrative, W asked who comes to Bellevue? Those with an adventurous and independent spirit, those involved in the technology or business visit the beautiful city and the hotel wanted to give them a home and lake house to experience the Pacific Northwest through a W lens. Through this, the hotel is filled with nods to the beauty that encompasses the state of Washington.
When you first pull up to the hotel, you will notice the Valet area is called Wheels. The main foyer will feature a grand staircase made from reclaimed wood and guests can experience some intricate street art murals from local artists. The hotel partnered with three street artists, Zio Ziegler, Lady Aiko and Gaia to create the permanent murals that guests will see as they walk throughout the hotel.
W partnered with Chef Jason Wilson for one of their restaurants, Civility & Unrest. The restaurant will have a discreet entrance in the hotel and will take you to a plush and multi-layered room, which is designed like a speakeasy. The second restaurant, the Lakehouse, another partnership with Chef Wilson, will center around fresh produce, meats, pastas, etc.
The “Living Room” of the hotel will have spines expanding the roof ceiling with white on one side and black on the other and mirrored edges. The Living Room will also include a bar area adjacent to the pool house with a deejay booth.
The Porch, an all outdoor patio faces eastward, with panoramic views of the Cascades and will be used year round. Have no fear as winter time will include space heaters and throw blankets!
Last but not least, hotel guests will have access to the W Insider, an employee who was born and raised in Bellevue and knows all the in’s and out’s of the city, all the secret spots that nobody else knows about. The W Insider can book you that reservation at the restaurant that has a two day wait and get you in right away.
W Bellevue has some great events coming up prior to the opening so you can be introduced to the new kid on the block! Be sure to check them out, and tell your friends and family or your clients to book a room at the W Bellevue when they come visit!
W Bellevue
10455 NE 5th Pl
Bellevue, WA 98008
Ph: (425) 709-9000
