By Julie Shapiro
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
FINANCIAL DISTRICT — The towering W New York Downtown opened its doors for the first time Monday evening, offering a glimpse of its luxurious spaces and sweeping views.
The slender 58-story condo-hotel doesn’t officially open until next month, but the two-level BLT Bar & Grill launched with Monday night’s party and is now open seven days a week.
“My favorite part is the restaurant,” said a grinning Oskar Brecher, director of development for The Moinian Group, which built the skyscraper. “I love it. Once the kitchen started cooking, it’s hard to stay away."
Chef Christophe Bellanca offers modern American food, including a $16 BLT burger and a tempting $8 tiramisu.
The 217 hotel rooms and 223 condos will begin opening on Aug. 16 and all of them will be completed by the end of the year. The fifth-floor public lobby will also open in August with a bar and wraparound terrace.
That terrace now looks directly out on the Deutsche Bank building, which was supposed to be demolished long before the W opened. Condos on the building’s upper floors have views of the World Trade Center construction, the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty.
Hotel rooms start at $399 a night through a grand opening special that includes some meals and car service to the airport. The condos are reportedly priced at $2,100 per square foot.
For one lucky person looking to live in the W for free, HGTV is giving away a fully furnished one-bedroom there this fall. Those who are interested can begin applying for the random drawing on HGTV’s website Sept. 1.
This W is the fourth in the city and has a more futuristic design than others in the chain, a spokeswoman said. The hotel showcases two artistic light installations, by Graft Lab and Bruce Munro.
The staff takes the W’s trademark Whatever/Whenever service seriously and touts the ability to secure anything from helicopter tours to backstage Fashion Week passes at a moment’s notice. The development also offers more standard amenities, including separate gyms for residents and hotel guests and in-room spa treatments.
