W Hotels has revealed a new collaboration with viral French artist Thomas Lélu to create a range of merchandise that debuted at select W Hotels worldwide and online Wednesday.
The collaboration captures the essence of the modern traveler with phrases written by the artist, who is known for his thought-provoking conceptual art and visual commentaries. Handwritten scribbles by Lélu feature messages like “Can I stay a bit longer? Stay forever”; “Hi! Could you bring me a cocktail? I need attention” and “Are you in love? No, I’m at the pool,” emblazoned across canvas tote bags and notecards, encapsulating the playful spirit of both Lélu’s art and W Hotels.
In an interview with WWD, George Fleck, senior vice president and global brand leader for W Hotels, emphasized the alignment between Lélu’s work and W Hotels’ brand identity with his humorous take on the contemporary travel experience. “Thomas’s ability to capture the current cultural zeitgeist in witty, sometimes provocative, and always relevant ways aligns perfectly with our brand DNA.”
“His sense of humor and style makes so much sense for us. With W Hotels, we can be more daring and take some risks,” said Fleck. Lélu’s previous collaborations include brands like iconic French concept store Colette and French Playboy.
The collection draws inspiration from Lélu’s recent visits to W Hotels’ properties, including the newly transformed global flagship W New York — Union Square and the West Coast flagship W Hollywood. These experiences inspired Lélu to create the five custom quotes as a commentary on the quirks and adventures of contemporary travelers.
The aim is to inspire guests to embrace spontaneity and mindfulness during their travels, explained Fleck. These quotes will be featured in guest rooms at select W Hotels properties through reusable shopping bags and note cards, enhancing the in-room experience with mindful messaging like “Wake me up when there’s no WiFi” tucked in their room closet. “Bringing this into the hotel space really complements what we are trying to communicate with this brand. That it’s OK to be unconventional, and to really live in the moment,” Fleck said.
He added, “I love that they create this sense for guests like, ‘You know what? Maybe I should just take a step back and go for a hike at Runyon Canyon, or sit in Central Park for an hour and have a coffee.’”
In addition to their presence in guest rooms, these items will be available for purchase in W Hotel rooms and through W Hotels The Store online, allowing guests to take a piece of the W experience home with them.
This collaboration is part of W Hotels’ multiyear brand evolution, aimed at meeting the needs of today’s guests and delivering a new generation of luxury lifestyle experiences.
Fleck also hinted at a broader retail strategy emerging from this collaboration targeting style-conscious travelers. “I believe there’s an opportunity to bring merch and lifestyle products, that retail component, back to the W Hotels brand. We might do it with more capsule collection-based, limited items.”
