White Plains, NY - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. recently announced that it will introduce a new W Hotel to the Buckhead section of Atlanta, Georgia. The property is being developed by Noble Investment Group, a leading private equity fund and hospitality organization focused on the North American lodging sector. In a $100M re-development, the W Atlanta-Buckhead will open the summer of 2008 in the heart of the Buckhead district where the Crowne Plaza hotel is currently located on Peachtree Road.

The world renowned Buckhead community is recognized for its elegant homes and the more than 1,400 luxury retail stores such as Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany’s, Kenneth Cole, Versace, and Cartier that line its streets as well as its prominent corporate headquarters. Additionally, the area is poised for even more growth over the next several years as significant new luxury residential, retail and office developments are being completed and will become part of the powerful Buckhead skyline. “W Atlanta-Buckhead promises to be an irresistible destination for visitors to Atlanta, as well as for Atlanta residents who can escape the city and experience modern Southern hospitality,” said Ross Klein, President of Starwood’s Luxury Brand Group. “As one of the country’s 10 most affluent communities, Buckhead provides guests with a wealth of entertainment options, including world-class shopping and proximity to Atlanta’s most popular attractions, making it a perfect fit for the W brand.”

“We are excited to make yet another significant investment in Atlanta, our hometown and headquarters. Along with our $96 million W Atlanta-Midtown which will open in the spring of 2008, the W Atlanta-Buckhead will be a significant addition to a vibrant city that has been underserved by true stylistic, modern luxury hotels,” said Mit Shah, CEO of Noble. “This dramatic re-development of one of the most strategic and desirable real estate addresses in Buckhead will also provide us the opportunity to add approximately 350,000 square feet of W branded residences and ancillary amenities adjacent to the project at a later date.”

Style guru, Thom Filicia, is designing this iconic project. Prior to his role on NBC/Bravo’s Emmy award-winning “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” as the interior design specialist for the “Fab Five,” Filicia garnered world-wide acclaim for his own Manhattan-based interior design company, Thom Filicia, Inc., where he shares his unique and innovative vision of time-honored classic simplicity, combined with unexpected modern flair. His signature use of simple strong lines, a muted palette with splashes of bold color and rich textures and patterns will maintain the grand traditions of Southern hospitality at the W Atlanta-Buckhead. Thom’s approach will also combine a comfortable, urban style with the city’s deep history and culture. From arrival to departure, guests will feel like they are visiting close friends while enjoying sophisticated, fresh and gracious hospitality in a chic yet geographically relevant locale.

In related news, W Hotels also announced today that it has launched a brand partnership with Thom Filicia, Inc. In addition to the design of W Atlanta-Buckhead, Filicia will redesign and renovate the brand’s iconic W Los Angeles-Westwood property and renovate the Living Room space at W San Diego.

For the next 14 months, Filicia will oversee and finalize the W Atlanta-Buckhead (formally the Crowne Plaza), redesign and renovate the W Los Angeles-Westwood property, and renovate the Living Room space at the W San Diego. More partnerships are in the works. The W Atlanta, offering 291 rooms, is slated to open in June 2008. Here Filicia will apply a muted palette with splashes of bold color, textures, and patterns. The W Los Angeles will feature luxurious materials such as mother of pearl, white cerused oak, lacquer finishes, honey comb acrylic and chrome and blackened steel. Organic touches and flexibility will be central to the design of the Living Room space at the W San Diego.

“We were inspired by Thom’s hands-on ability to bounce off ideas with our design team and spontaneously create real eclectic juxtapositions, cross referencing regional tones while integrating his style with that of W,” says Ross Klein, president of Starwood’s Luxury Brands Group. “What our guests will experience on each of these very unique and distinct W properties is the perfect balance of Thom’s signature couture comfort style infused with the voice of W.”

W Atlanta-Buckhead will include a spectacular destination rooftop bar with both indoor and outdoor areas, accessed by a glass-enclosed elevator that will ascend along the exterior of the building. The property will feature 291 fully upgraded rooms and suites, all outfitted with W’s signature bed, plasma television and wireless Internet access. W’s signature Living Room will offer a lounge-like atmosphere perfect for reading the paper, sipping a cappuccino or enjoying a cocktail with friends, while a to-be-named restauranteur will serve creative, contemporary entrees for breakfast, lunch and dinner at the front door to Peachtree Road. W Atlanta-Buckhead will be situated just minutes from popular Atlanta attractions like the Georgia Aquarium (the world’s largest aquarium), the High Museum of Art, the Atlanta History Center, newly-opened Atlantic Station, CNN's global headquarters, the Fernbank Science Center, one of the nation's largest planetariums, as well as the many museums showcasing Atlanta’s history and artists.