Starwood’s New Ideas Factory
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has unveiled Starlab, the company’s new brand innovation studio located in Manhattan’s Garment District. Design-led with the “spirit and agility of a start-up”, Starlab brings together a cross-section of the company’s digital, design and luxury brand teams in one urban office for the first time. The 46,000sqft, bi-level office is an evolution of Starwood’s approach to new-style workspaces, following the debuts of the Starwood Experience at the company’s global headquarters in Stamford, CT as well as its former Tribeca-based design centre.
“In today’s world, it is more important than ever for our teams to collaborate and think differently about our business,” said Phil McAveety, Chief Brand Officer, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “Starlab has been designed to easily allow teams to interact and engage across functions in order to create innovative and more personalised experiences for our guests before, during and after each stay.”
Inspired by the rise of social connectivity reshaping global business, Starwood brought digital and social content to the forefront of Starlab’s design. At the office entrance, a smart mirror doubles as a digital display showcasing Starwood’s latest video news, photography and user-generated content. A digital chandelier (pictured) splays down the internal staircase — part art installation, part news ticker — bringing real-time guest twitter comments into the office environment, while five digital feed frames rotate guests’ Instagram posts in a gallery-style space adjacent to the communal dining area.
Starlab also houses a Tech Lab to experiment and test the company’s latest digital innovations, such as the recent game-changing introductions of SPG Keyless, allowing travellers to opt out of traditional check-in for a truly mobile guest experience.
Starwood: www.starwood.com