W Hotels Worldwide has appointed Kevin Rockey as general manager of its new London hotel, which is due to launch in Leicester Square this summer.
Rockey joins W Hotels from Morgans Hotel Group, where he held the position of hotel manager at The Sanderson and most recently St. Martins Lane in London.
As general manager of the 192-bedroom W London-Leicester Square hotel, Rockey will be responsible for creating a ‘differentiating’ hotel experience, and will report to Colin Bennett, area manager for Starwood Hotels and Resorts, England.
Robyn Pratt, brand leader for W Hotels in Europe, said: “Kevin’s London know-how and design hotel experience will be invaluable to us for W to really make its mark in London when we debut this summer. As we continue to transform W into a global powerhouse, with openings in international ‘it’ locations like London, we need talent like Kevin who share in the brand’s and the destination’s passion for fashion, design, and entertainment.”
Further W London-Leicester Square appointments
Joining Rockey at the Concrete-designed hotel are the newly appointed marketing director, Simon Warrington, and sales director Maria Vasquez.
Once completed, W London-Leicester Square will include 10 two-level residences, a restaurant, gym, and W-branded Living Room, while the exterior of the hotel will feature a translucent glass ‘movie screen’ that will be lit up by night using colourful, artificial lighting, but hang ‘restrained’ during the day.
It joins Starwood’s six existing London hotels, the Sheraton Park Tower, Park Lane Hotel, Sheraton Skyline Hotel and Conference Centre, Sheraton Heathrow and Le Meridien Piccadilly.