W is coming to Hoboken. And no, this W isn't the President of the United States.

This W is W Hotels, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. On July 21st, in the Erie Lackawanna Terminal in downtown Hoboken, Mayor David Roberts joined with executives of the company to announce plans for the Mile Square City's first full-service hotel to be built on the waterfront property between 2nd and 3rd Streets. And this won't be just any hotel -- as Starwood executives are keen to point out, W Hotels is the industry's fastest growing collection of world-class design hotels.

Scheduled to open in September of 2006, the 26-story hotel will include 225 rooms and 40 luxury residences. The property will feature W's celebrated comforts, including the signature W Living Room experience, a bar with amazing views of the Manhattan skyline, a new restaurant, a 5,000 square-foot spa, a fitness facility, and over 11,000 square feet of meeting space.

When it is completed, the W's appeal will be undeniable. The hotel will be ideally situated within steps of Frank Sinatra Park, Hoboken's Riverwalk, Pier A Park, and the future Pier C Park at 4th Street. Its rooms will boast unobstructed views of Manhattan, and its location will allow for easy access to the NYC ferries, NJ Transit, and the PATH trains. Coupled with the surrounding area's attractions and transportation hubs (the Meadowlands Sports Complex and Newark International Airport), not to mention the Big Apple itself, the W will provide ample reason to come stay in the Mile Square City.

In addition to the hotel, the W Hoboken Hotel and Residences will offer the opportunity for a select group of homeowners to purchase luxury hotel condominium residences that have all the benefits of being attached to a W Hotel. Owners of the W Residences will have full use of all the W Hotel's facilities, as well as the option for 24-hour room service, daily maid service, and concierge serveices.

W Hoboken Hotel & Residences will be developed and owned by Applied Development Company, New Jersey's premier developer, owner, and manager of residential real estate. The hotel will be designed by the award-winning architect group Gwathmey Siegel & Associates, whose renowned work includes the renovation and addition of the acclaimed Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. While the W Hoboken Hotel & Residences will be the 26th hotel to join the brand's growing portfolio (and the 5th in the NYC area), it will only be the fourth W residence property of its kind to be announced in the US, following W Scottsdale, W Fort Lauderdale, and W Dallas. W will also soon be opening hotels in Barcelona, Seoul, and Montreal, and currently operates 18 hotels brandwide in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, San Francisco, Seattle, Honolulu, Silicon Valley, San Diego, Atlanta, Mexico City, and Sydney.

"We are thrilled that the first W Hotel and Residences project to debut in the northesast will be designed by the world-renown design firm of Gwathmey Siegel. The property will surely be a key centerpiece of the ongoing, exciting revival of Hoboken's downtown and waterfront district," said Starwood Chairman and CEO Barry S. Sternlicht. "The magnificent views of Manhattan's skyline and stunning waterfront setting and the ability to do a perfect W with all its components make this the perfect site for our next W."

"Hoboken is delighted the W has chosen our community as their frist site in the State of New Jersey," said Hoboken's Mayor, David Roberts. "This further validates our city's reputation as an important destination in the New York metropolitan region and greatly enhances the value of our southern waterfront."

However, the announcement of the W Hoboken has not been without its share of controversy. In March, the hotel was the subject of some protest when the City Council was discussing an option to increase the height of the 26-story building. The imminence of the plans to build the W is seen as a defeat by those who wish to preserve Hoboken's views of the Manhattan skyline.

But the benefits that the new hotel will bring to Hoboken may outweigh its costs. It is no secret that Hoboken's growing population of young professionals are spurring the local economy and acting as catalysts for economic growth and development. The W Hotel will be an integral part of that transformation. In addtion, the hotel will do wonders for Hoboken, both in terms of tourism revenue and job creation. Tourism accounts for the 2nd highest source of revenue for the State of New Jersey, and Hudson County alone has an annual tourism revenue of $1.5 billion. Clearly, a modern, full-service hotel will help promote the growth of the industry. Similarly, the 250 or so jobs the W will provide (not including construction work) will directly benefit the citizens of Hoboken.

Watch out Hobokenites -- come what may, in 2006, the W will be as much a part of the Mile Square City as Sinatra and baseball.