NEW YORK—W Hotels Worldwide, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, in partnership with Coca-Cola, today debuted the first-ever W Sound Suite at W Bali—Seminyak. This private music studio and writer’s room will be the place for professional recording artists, studio musicians, and producers, in addition to hotel guests, to record in style while on the road. Additional studios in music meccas around the world will be unveiled later this year at W Hollywood, W Barcelona, and W Seattle, with more to come.
“W has a long history of musicians staying, playing, and celebrating at our hotels,” said Anthony Ingham, Global Brand Leader, W Hotels Worldwide. “We know that inspiration can strike at any moment, so the W Sound Suite is today’s tech-savvy version of scribbling lyrics on a cocktail napkin.”
W Sound Suites are in part the brainchild of the W brand’s North American Music Director, DJ White Shadow, the Chicago-based producer best known for his work with Lady Gaga. He has been working with W to identify the best sound equipment and studio layout to ensure the suites are optimal for professional use.
“While traveling around the globe making music for the last decade, I’ve run into many challenges including costly studio rentals, the risk of disturbing other guests, and not being able to find a suitable place to listen to or create music,” said DJ White Shadow. “We dreamed up an environment for musicians to create that is convenient, stylish and functional.”
The W brand’s longstanding global partner, Coca-Cola, has been instrumental in bringing the studios to life. Elements of the studio’s aesthetic, envisioned by Josh Held Design, pay tribute to Coca-Cola, including the subtle integration of the Coca-Cola red and printed lyrics on the wall. Coca-Cola has used music to tell its brand story for over a century, bringing its campaigns into the pop culture lexicon. From distributing sheet music for family sing-a-longs in 1905, to “teaching the world to sing” in the 1971 Hilltop commercial, to the recent release of the song “Taste the Feeling” by Avicii and Conrad Sewell, music is ingrained in the core of the brand.
“Our partnership with W Sound Suites is an innovative way to help enable, inspire and refresh artists to create and connect over an ice-cold Coca-Cola,” said Joe Belliotti, head of global music marketing, Coca-Cola North America. “We’re excited to be a part of it.”
