Rockwell’s guest rooms for each property deepen that sense of place. At the W New York–Union Square, yellow faucets call to mind taxicabs and custom lights subway fixtures. In Hollywood, on the other hand, blue glass frames window views, invoking sea and sky. Allusions remain open to interpretation. “The less you are able to nail the reference the better,” he says.
What remains clear, however, is the brand’s distinctive mix of pared-back maximalism and unconventional drama. “We have embraced a more elevated approach without losing that daring spirit,” says Fleck of the changes now underway across the world, as firms such as AvroKO and Meyer Davis spearhead their own updates. Of course nowadays, with the heightened role of social media, design has to do double duty as a digital marketing tool and IRL mood enhancer. “Spaces have to deliver more in person than they do in image,” says Rockwell. “You can’t have a design strategy that’s just a one-liner. A hotel should be a place that invites discovery.” w-marriott.com
