W Boston Hotel developer files for bankruptcy

(Reuters) - The developer of the 235-room luxury W Boston Hotel filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Massachusetts court on Wednesday along with four affiliates, court papers show.

SW Boston Hotel Venture LLC listed both assets and debt in the $100 million to $500 million range. Bovis Lend Lease LMB Inc was named the largest unsecured creditor with a claim of about $700,000.

The sleek glass building was opened in November 2009, just as the United States was emerging from the worst downturn since the Great Depression.

It houses 123 condominiums, known as the Residences at W Boston, located between the 15th and 27th floors.

Sales of these apartments have been managed by Otis & Ahern, according to a press release heralding the hotel's opening. Otis & Ahern are listed as one of the creditors in the bankruptcy and are owed more than $41,000.

Other creditors include Boston-based Meichi Peng Design Studio, which designed detailed models of the condos for the sales office and TRO Jung Brannen, one of the architects of the building.

TRO Jung is owed more than $34,000 while Meichi Peng is owed more than $10,300.

Kortenhaus Communications, which has handled media relations for the property, is also listed as a creditor and is owed more than $6,000.

The company's affiliates include Auto Sales & Service Inc, General Trading Co, Frank Sawyer Corp and 100 Stuart Street LLC. It is represented by Hanify & King in the bankruptcy court.

The W hotel chain is operated by Starwood Hotels & Resorts, which reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings on Thursday.

The case is In re: SW Boston Hotel Venture LLC, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Massachusetts, No.10-14535.

(Reporting by Deepa Seetharaman in New York and Santosh Nadgir in Bangalore; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)