The W New York in 1998 was the epitome of cool. It was the first property of the W Hotel brand, then part of Starwood, now Marriott, and boasted rooms with silver couches and mirrored ceilings. The lobby was designed to act as a lounge. The pool was called a wet deck. The presidential suite was titled an “E WOW” suite — Extreme Wow. The W was the most playful hotel around.

Twenty years later the brand has built shinier, more attention-grabbing flagships. One, W Dubai - The Palm, opened in February. Guests are greeted by Orsoni glass tiles that reflect the sun, and then sleep in guest rooms with walls designed to mirror the sea and Arabic lyrics written graffiti style. They eat at the celebrity chef Massimo Bottura’s first restaurant outside of Italy.

In the world of retail, flagship properties have always been big in every sense of the world. At Nike’s in New York, visitors can design their own sneakers. At the Microsoft flagship in London, they can play the latest Xbox games in a gaming lounge.