W Hotel checks into San Francisco, ushers in a new era.(Brief Article)

When the $400 million W Hotel opened last May, it ushered in a new era of hotel development in San Francisco.

Nearly a decade in the making, the project's developer, Hampshire Properties, ran through a series of would be partners before teaming up with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide for its newest chain.

Development of the W coincided with completion of the public portion of the 40-year-old Yerba Buena Redevelopment project, opening soon after the Sony Metreon retail complex and the final phase of the Yerba Buena Gardens.

The 31-story, 418-room hotel caps development of the neighborhood around the Moscone Convention Center, joining Yerba Buena …