Starwood's new W New York Downtown hotel, developed by The Moinian Group, has opened on the corner of Washington and Albany Streets in the city's financial district.

Designed by architects Gwathmey Siegel and Associates, W New York - Downtown Hotel & Residences features 217 guest rooms and 223 W-branded residences, offering views of the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Hudson River and Battery Park. It is also a short distance from the planned Freedom Tower on Ground Zero. The 58-storey, glass-clad structure is built on a five-storey, limestone and glass podium featuring a grid pattern of white, grey and clear glass panels.

With interiors by Berlin-based GRAFT studio, Downtown's design is said by Starwood to be based on the idea of a ripple effect and features a two-storey-high light installation by UK designer Bruce Munro which incorporates 1,260 colour changing hanging lights to represent waves of energy. Food and beverage options at the hotel include the Living Room Bar & Terrace - providing specialty cocktails such as Five Points, Bond Street Sparkler and Brooklyn Bridge - and the BLT Bar & Grill, the hotel's signature restaurant.

Constructed on two floors, BLT's street level section offers a range of bar snacks, while the second floor operation features a larger menu of salads, meats, pastas, pizzas, sandwiches and desserts. Also on the second floor is a private dining room for 20 guests. Elsewhere in Downtown are W's SWEAT fitness centre - offering a range of cv, yoga and Pilates kit - and more than 4,000sq ft (377sq m) of event space.