W Hotels To Launch Their Own Music Festivals

Music festivals are many things, but luxurious is typically not one of their attributes unless you’re a celebrity with VIP access.

Crowded? Yes indeed. Hot and muddy? Quite often both of those things too.

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W Hotels, however, is aiming to change all of that.

The brand, long known for its affiliation with music and musicians, has announced plans to launch its very own music festival.

Come September, the hotel will begin the global roll-out of “WAKE UP CALL” a festival series that takes the music off of the hot, dusty field and brings it onto fabulous hotel grounds around the planet.

In 2018, WAKE UP CALL will make stops at W properties in Hollywood, California; Barcelona, Spain and Bali, Indonesia. And in early 2019 it will also visit Dubai, W executives told TravelPulse.

Among the talent that has signed on to participate are Phantogram, Charli XCX, Martin Solveig, Gorgon City, Sam Feldt and Angus & Julia Stone.

Performances will take place throughout hotel properties – from WET deck parties to DJ master classes and live performances.

Gone are the pools of mud, to be replaced by poolside performances. And say goodbye to seas of people and day passes, and instead, imagine taking in a performance from the comfort or your hotel room balcony (and - gasp - even being able to shower.)

“We saw a unique opportunity to flip the music festival experience on its head a little bit, to control the environment and provide an experience that only we could provide because of the of W-ness of it all,” W’s Pablo Henderson, senior global director, brand marketing, told TravelPulse. “The music festival has become such a relevant part of pop culture and has evolved over the last few years…While the music festival is really around music, it’s also an extension of a lifestyle experience.”

This year’s multi-city tour is technically an expansion of the brand’s inaugural WAKE UP CALL offering, which took place at the W Scottsdale in 2016. The Scottsdale proof of concept, which was wildly successful and left guests asking for more, laid the groundwork for the program now being launched, said Henderson.

But music is also nothing new for the brand. W has long been hosting artists when they’re on the road, providing recording studios for them and hosting small-scale music events, such as for a property opening.

WAKE UP CALL attendance is open to members of Marriott International’s Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) and Marriott Rewards loyalty program. Anybody is welcome to join the loyalty programs and then book a W hotel room to attend any of the festivals. There is no charge to sign-up for either program.

Audience sizes will be dictated largely by the host property. For instance, in Hollywood, it will likely be capped at between 800 to 1,000 people, while the W Bali may be able to handle between 3,000 and 5,000 people, Henderson said.

“The constraints of space are one factor, but we also want to make sure we're providing an experience that our guests have become accustomed to at W, where each guest feels very special,” he said.

The WAKE UP CALL experience will also go beyond mere music offerings to include everything from workout sessions with top fitness masters to exclusive dishes and cocktails created by W chefs and mixologists exclusively for festival goers.

In addition, SPG and Marriott Rewards members can bid for exclusive WAKE UP CALL Moments – such things as 60-minute DJ master classes, in-suite after parties with featured artists and off-site adventures curated by festival talent.

And while the first line up of talent has been revealed, Henderson said many more details will continue to be revealed between now and the first festival. The festivals are slated for the following dates: W Hollywood (Sept 1-3); W Barcelona (Sept 21-23); and W Bali (Oct 4- 6)

To book, visit wakeupcallfest.com.