W Hotel Renovation Reveal

The W Hotel is one of the best luxury hotels in the country, perhaps the world. I've had the good fortune to have the opportunity to stay in one of their fabulous hotels, and I have to say, it really is as wonderful as everyone says. From the incredibly comfortable beds to the chic decor and feel, staying at the W is quite an experience.

Never being a place to rest on its laurels, the W has embarked on a huge renovation to its most prominent locations. On Thursday, the W opened its doors to reveal the changes they had made, and Wow! Check out the main lobby. Gorgeous colors and very interesting use of space. I love the open air feel of the space, yet all the use of color is warm and inviting.

And of course, there were lots of treats, provided by the new restaurant, Kelvin. The first thing that was sampled was a fresh, delicious green tomato gazpacho. This was so yummy and clean-tasting! The bright taste of the tomatoes was accented wonderfully by the spices.

Delicious Manchego cheese with a topping of crushed almonds. I couldn't stop eating these!

Mini beef taco pies with a sour cream topping and yellow tomato.

Best Mojito ever! Made with 10 Cane Rum and sparkling wine, this was surprisingly light and refreshing. Great for a summer afternoon relaxing on the deck.

The pool had a nice retro feel to it. Don't you just expect Don Draper to walk out?

The deck underwent a huge change, eliminating the sanded beach in favor a lovely wooden deck. I think that this is a great improvement, as it was destructive to shoes! I love this beach chair sculpture in the fire pit!

But it was hard to stay outside when there was so much going on inside! Live music and more treats!

Popcorn chowder. Really. This soup was creamy, warm, and tasted just like buttered popcorn. I could have eaten a vat of this stuff!!!

Mini Caesar salads in pouches were available for nibbling. The flavor was intense and present. I've had so many Caesars that were just bland and flavorless. These had plenty of creamy anchovy goodness and were fresh and crisp.

Ever had a pressed watermelon? The chef came up with this fruit salad using a watermelon pressed to compact the juices to make it intensely flavorful and juicy. Topped with a bit of cilantro, balsamic vinegar, and feta cheese, it was the perfect mix of a bit sweet and a little salty.

Speaking of the chef, I was lucky enough to have a few minutes of chatting with the busy new chef of Kelvin, the new restaurant at the W. Kevin Harry just moved here from New York, and is delighted to be living in America's Finest City. He brings with him a team of trusted colleagues from New York with plenty of experience and expertise. His theory on great food: great ingredients make great food. I could not agree more!

Mini rice bowls with saffron rice and chicken