On Tuesday, October 10th, W Hotels celebrated the opening of the 374-room W Shanghai – The Bund in an over-the-top pop-up event held at The Oculus in downtown Manhattan. The Electrify The Sky Pop-Up transformed the New York structure into a Shanghai-inspired fete, giving travelers and locals alike a taste of the newest W destination. W Hotels teamed up with James Beard Award-winner, Chef Danny Bowien, to serve up a fresh take on the beloved Shanghai dish, xiao long bao (soup dumplings), for the one-day-only tasting. Chef Bowien himself greeted New Yorkers with one of the most exclusive bites in New York City. Passersby were also treated to performances from DJ Hattie Casserly, The Lion Dance Troupe and DJ Erica Rhone alongside a piled-high cargo bike which offered a life-size preview of Shanghai street style.
Throughout the day, W Hotels also gave a few lucky event-goers the chance to experience W destinations first-hand. The prizes included two-night stays at W New York – Downtown, W Los Angeles – West Beverly Hills, W Washington D.C., and W New Orleans – French Quarter; signed cookbooks from Chef Danny Bowien; and a three-night stay at the new W Shanghai – The Bund.
W Hotels will keep the party going with a second pop-up in London on October 18th and will then bring the Shanghai-centric celebration to top destinations in China with pop-up events at W Hong Kong, W Taipei, W Guangzhou, and W Beijing in the coming months.
