Come for Natasha Bedingfield, Stay for the Continental Breakfast

W Hotels, MasterCard and Sony BMG Form New Music Partnership

By Mike Tunnicliffe originally published in Ad Age 'Songs For Soap : June 11, 2008

According to a number of reports, Starwood Hotel division W Hotels Worldwide, along with MasterCard Worldwide and Sony BMG Music's Commercial Music Group, are launching W WonderLust Live, an exclusive concert platform featuring established and emerging artists. Guests and local consumers with MasterCard credit cards can book a "W WonderLust Live Package," which will include two tickets to the concert, an exclusive W Hotels/Sony BMG all-access VIP gift bag, drinks, a 3 p.m. checkout and a "Fabulous Suite."

The live performances -- hosted by A-list producer Bryan Michael Cox -- will also be broadcast on W's dedicated video channel, accessible only in W Hotels. Two concerts have taken place already; the inaugural one featuring Natasha Bedingfield, took place at W New York-Union Square on May 19. The second performance was held yesterday at W Los Angeles-Westwood with Irish singer-songwriter Paddy Casey.

Live Nation Studios -- the media company's live recording arm -- has signed on to record select performances and stream them at livenation.com. Some of the music will also be made available on a W Hotels CD, "WonderLust, The Worldwide Tour" produced by Sony BMG.

Previously, Starwood had a similar deal with the label to curate in-house mixes for all of its brands, and a compilation of electro-pop tunes picked for the W Hotels called "Warmth of Cool, Interlude" was released for retail.