Starwood Hotels & Resorts has opened Starlab, a new innovation studio and creative hub in New York City’s Garment District. The studio brings together Starwood’s digital, design and luxury brand teams in a single urban office for the first time, offering a collaborative environment designed to spark fresh ideas and better guest experiences. The bi-level, 46,000-square-foot space represents the next step in Starwood’s evolving approach to modern workspaces, following earlier initiatives such as the Starwood Experience at the company’s global headquarters in Stamford, Conn., and its former Tribeca design center.
“In today’s world, it is more important than ever for our teams to collaborate and think differently about our business,” said Phil McAveety, chief brand officer, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “Starlab has been designed to allow teams to interact across functions easily, enabling innovation and more personalized experiences for our guests before, during and after each stay.”
Starlab functions as a showcase and testing ground where associates, owners, developers, customers and partners can engage directly with the company’s latest two- and three-dimensional design work, advanced guest technologies and distinct brand programming. The space was designed by Starwood’s in-house creative team in partnership with VM Architecture Studio PC, and the studio is pursuing LEED certification as part of Starwood’s broader sustainability goals. Those goals include reducing energy use by 20 percent, water use by 30 percent and carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2020.
The facility includes a dedicated Tech Lab that allows teams to experiment with and test emerging digital innovations. Recent developments trialed in similar environments include SPG Keyless, a mobile-enabled option that lets guests bypass traditional check-in for a seamless, phone-driven arrival experience. In addition to the physical studio, Starwood launched a virtual Starlab to highlight innovations and share behind-the-scenes creative stories from its teams worldwide, extending the reach of the studio beyond its New York location.
By co-locating diverse disciplines in an adaptable, design-forward setting, Starlab aims to accelerate collaboration, encourage rapid prototyping and refine guest-focused solutions more efficiently. The studio’s mix of presentation spaces, prototyping zones and technology-testing areas supports a workflow that moves concepts from idea to execution while providing partners and clients with immersive experiences of the company’s evolving brand directions and service innovations.
Starlab’s combination of creative resources and technical capability reflects Starwood’s commitment to thoughtful design, technological advancement and sustainable operations. The studio is positioned as both a living showroom and a laboratory where new guest experiences are conceived, tested and shared—helping inform product decisions across Starwood’s portfolio and offering a tangible view of future hospitality trends for industry stakeholders and guests alike.