W Fort Lauderdale’s landmark exterior, designed to resemble a sailboat, was inspired by the city’s boating culture. The hotel’s broad pedestals represent the hull while the two towers form white opposing “sails,” which in boating terms means to “come about” or change direction, representative of Fort Lauderdale’s recent rebirth as a leading upscale destination.

In designing W Fort Lauderdale’s interiors, the designers set out to ensure that guests experience something beautiful and unique in each space. Using the wave and the sea as an inspiration and the beach as a directive, they have mixed elements of earth and stone with the sounds of water, the glowing light of fire, the natural feel of wood, and the edge of metal. Mirroring the color palette of the hotel’s surrounding oceanfront landscape, the designers infused waves of blue with jolts of magenta, while an undercurrent of concrete, resembling brushed sand, resonates throughout the hotel. She designed 230 custom furniture pieces, unique to the property with fabrics and finishes inspired by the shimmering sands, pounding surf and the infinite variation of colors found on nearby seashells. The designers brought the outside in and the inside out by using interior colors and textures on the terraces and pool decks, visually punctuating each deck with a fire bowl.

A main feature of the hotel is a breathtaking oceanfront pool deck with an awe-inspiring design feature – a glass-enclosed stairway allowing guests and residents to literally walk from the signature W living room through the pool’s inviting waters and onto the pool deck. Guests in the living room can watch swimmers above through slivers in the ceiling, adding to W Fort Lauderdale’s fun and flirty atmosphere.

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