New York’s Fifth W Hotel Debuts on Times Square

W New York Times Square, which rises 52 stories above the once-seedy area that has been dramatically upgraded in the last decade, opened Dec. 27. It is the first major hotel to debut in New York City since the Sept. 11 attacks, its owners say.

The hotel, at 1567 Broadway, has 509 rooms and a modern, Asian-themed decor centered on a glass-encased waterfall and 6,000-square-foot promenade. Below ground is another Whiskey bar by Los Angeles and New York entrepreneur Rande Gerber, who earlier last month opened a Whiskey Sky bar and nightclub at the new Green Valley Ranch casino-resort near Las Vegas. The bar at W New York Times Square, called simply the Whiskey, includes a screening room and floor tiles that change color on contact.

The hotel’s restaurant, the Blue Fin, is run by the same company that operates the Atlantic Grill and Blue Water Grill seafood restaurants in New York. This one seats 350 and has a raw bar and live jazz. Room rates begin at $299. (877) 946-8357, www.whotels.com.

The W New York Times Square is the fifth W in New York and the 16th opened worldwide by the fast-growing chain, which opened its first hotel, W New York at 541 Lexington Ave., in December 1998. The chain is part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.