STARWOOD HOTELS and Resorts' W brand is to make its UK debut in 2010, with the opening of hotels in both London and Manchester.
The W London Leicester Square, to be built on the site of the old Swiss Centre, will have 194 rooms and 10 "residences", while the W Manchester, close to the city's Piccadilly rail station, will have 160 rooms.
Both properties will have a "signature" spa, while the W Manchester will also feature 7,000ft2 of function space.
Launched in 2006, the trendy W brand gets its name from the initial letter of Westin, another of Starwood's upscale products. In Europe, further W properties are planned for Athens, Barcelona, Milan and St Petersburg.