W Union Square in New York City has completed a full renovation of its 270 guestrooms as well as its Extreme Wow and Wow suites. Guestrooms now feature a sculptural headboard that represents Union Square. Window coverings blend silver with silk fabric, similar to a man’s tie. The Extreme Wow suite is designed to work both as a suite and as an event venue, complete with space for a DJ booth and a wraparound couch that offers views of the city. The building, which dates to 1911, has much of its original design and details intact. For instance, the 2,300 sq ft (214 sq m) Great Room has a 23 ft (7 m) gilded ceiling and original details. The project also included a renovation of Todd English’s Olives New York restaurant. Lilium, the hotel’s bar, now features a new design by Gulla Jonsdottir of G+Design. The bar’s twisted metal ceiling flows down the walls to complement the black steel lilies sculpted by Scot Brown. The design also includes contoured wood and gold-tone accents. W Union Square collaborated with D-ash Design and Wilson Associates on the renovation project.

The Hotel Métropole in Monte-Carlo has invited designer Karl Lagerfeld to make over its exterior premises including the pool, terrace, gardens and a new Joel Robuchon restaurant. The first instalment of the project will be unveiled in July, but in the meantime, Lagerfeld has composed some frescos to create a feel of the hotel’s new look. And guess who has a starring role? None other than Baptiste Giabiconi, Karl’s French male model muse. Lagerfeld had an earlier turn on styling hotels, his first was the Schlosshotel im Grünewald in Berlin.

ABaC Restaurant, part of the boutique 15-room ABaC Hotel in Barcelona (or should we say the other way around?) was awarded Best Restaurant of the Year 2011 by the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy. It is an award to cookers, restaurants, professionals, groups and institutions related to the Catalan gastronomy world that had stand out during 2011 in Catalonia. Chef Jordi Cruz has only headed the restaurant since April 2010, and which also became a two star rating in the Michelin guide. Set in the very heart of Barcelona, surrounded by gardens and greenery, the hotel is a fusion of 2 architectural styles. The new crystal pavilion is joined with the centennial building, recently refurbished to protect its historical and architectural value. All rooms enjoy a vanguardist design, are completely soundproofed and are fitted with state of the art technical features to ensure maximum comfort. The restaurant can seat up to 60 diners and is decorated in natural tones. The kitchen of 200 m2, has been designed by Joaquim Casademont and may be visited by the guests of the hotel. Other dining facilities include a breakfast room, where private dinner or lunch can be served, or the “Lounge Bar”, which opens until 2.00 p.m. and where the music, light and color of the room subtly change. There is also an extensive cellar, offering near 1000 references, and from which you can select your perfect wine. Meeting rooms and a complete Spa leaded by the luxury British spa and skincare brand Elemis offers a wide range of treatments, and completes the services of ABaC.

Starwood Hotels announced that it will open a second W Hotel in Dubai on The Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Through the W brand’s unique and distinctive programming, W Dubai – The Palm will provide a contemporary lifestyle experience with a complete service offer. The hotel will feature 283 stylish guest rooms, including 102 suites, five WOW suites and two Extreme WOW suites (W’s interpretation of a Presidential Suite). W Dubai – The Palm will also offer W exclusives including the brand’s signature W Lounge experience (W’s transformation of the traditional lobby), a glamorous WET pool, SWEAT (W’s state-of-the-art fitness centre) and an AWAY Spa. The W Dubai on The Palm Jumeirah is expected to open in 2016. A W Hotel was originally announced for The Palm Jumeirah in 2006 but was put on hold. Another W Hotel was announced for Dubai Festival City, but has also been delayed. Just two weeks ago, the 384-room W Hotel  on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road, slated to open in 2017 alongside a Westin and St. Regis Hotel was announced. Things seem to be picking up once again in Dubai.

Kimpton Hotels will be opening a new Palomar Hotel in the downtown of Phoenix, Arizona on June 5, marking the completion of the highly-anticipated development project, CityScape Phoenix.  The hotel, just steps from major sports arenas, entertainment venues and cultural attractions, will add 242 spacious and contemporary guest rooms and suites and more than 10,000 square feet of stylish, flexible meeting space to the city’s lineup and will bring even more energy to the downtown Phoenix area. The destination’s interior design scheme – from the public and event spaces to the guest rooms and suites – embodies a relaxed sophistication that is modern while reflecting Arizona’s casual approach. While the overall feel is stylish and laid-back, the hotel’s desert-infused color palette features a nod to the energetic undercurrent of its CityScape and downtown Phoenix surroundings with its pops of orange, its signature accent color. Design and décor elements that use bright spots of color, lines that create a sense of movement and light-hearted artistic touches also help to bring the hotel’s ‘Art in Motion’ theme to life.