[Southdowns]

W Hotel coming to Esplanade?

Plans for a 136-room W Hotel, which would be built at the intersection of Interstate 10 and College Drive, have been filed with the city-parish planning commission. The five-story hotel and adjoining parking garage would be built in front of Esplanade Mall in the parking area around Clicks Billiards. The mall is owned by developers Rick Hartley and David Vey.

Getting a W Hotel would style up Baton Rouge quite a bit. The chic chain targets hip, young travelers and has locations in major cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. There are two W Hotels in New Orleans, one on Poydras Street, the other in the French Quarter. The company has been expanding and has a hotel/condo tower in Hoboken, N.J. The developers were on the road and unavailable for comment by deadline.

Courtesy of the Baton Rouge Business Report/Daily Report