W Hotels Worldwide will mark its debut in France on February 14, 2012 with the new W Paris - Opéra hotel. Owned by Barcelona-based Meridia Capital, the hotel is set inside an elegant 1870s Haussman-era heritage building. W Paris - Opéra has been designed jointly by W Global Brand Design and Rockwell Group Europe (RGe) led by Diego Gronda, its Managing and Creative Director.

Historic features of the 19th-century building, such as ornamented columns, vaulted ceilings, marble staircases and fireplaces, have been partially restored, celebrated and often juxtaposed against contemporary elements. The original stained glass windows and mosaic flooring on the second floor will be protected to reflect the building’s heritage. The hotel design revolves around the “spark”, an oversized backlit digital undulating wall that defines the central core of the building and weaves through the public and private spaces.

The five-storey hotel will have 91 stylish guest rooms, including 20 suites and two Extreme WOW Suites (W’s interpretation of the Presidential Suite). With soaring ceilings up to three and a half metres in height, the guest rooms and suites offer a contemporary, spacious design and stunning views of Opéra Garnier and the Parisian streets. The Extreme WOW Suites feature a shower that is concealed behind two huge, classical Parisian doors creating an alluring effect within the suite. This will be complemented by an oversized three-metre circular bed set in the middle of the suite.

W Paris - Opéra will offer a signature restaurant and destination bar, as well as a SWEAT® fitness centre. Guests will enjoy spectacular views of the Opéra Garnier from the hotel’s ground level and mezzanine floors, including the Living Room, a stylish social space where visitors can mingle and relax. At the hotel’s grand entrance, “The Spark” takes the form of a black resin bar shaped like a molten sculpture and other customised furnishings that demonstrate the energy from the spark wall.