ΔΙΕΘΝΗΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΗΛΕΚΤΡΟΝΙΚΗ ΕΦΗΜΕΡΙΔΑ ΠΟΙΚΙΛΗΣ ΥΛΗΣ - ΕΔΡΑ: ΑΘΗΝΑ

Ει βούλει καλώς ακούειν, μάθε καλώς λέγειν, μαθών δε καλώς λέγειν, πειρώ καλώς πράττειν, και ούτω καρπώση το καλώς ακούειν. (Επίκτητος)

(Αν θέλεις να σε επαινούν, μάθε πρώτα να λες καλά λόγια, και αφού μάθεις να λες καλά λόγια, να κάνεις καλές πράξεις, και τότε θα ακούς καλά λόγια για εσένα).

Τρίτη 26 Ιουνίου 2012

Starwood celebrating over 100 Hotels Open and Another 100 in the Pipeline in China


Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced that it has reached a historic milestone with 103 hotels open and in operation and now another 100 signed hotel deals in the pipeline for Greater China, Starwood's second largest market outside of the United States.

The announcement was made as part of celebrations at the Sheraton Shanghai Hongkou Hotel on the heels of Starwood's Asia Pacific Investor Day.

"Our celebration of our more than 100 hotels in operation and 100 hotels in the pipeline marks another significant milestone for Starwood's growth and development in China as we double our footprint in the region," said Vasant Prabhu, Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. "Our success in China reflects our first mover advantage, the strength of our brands and the entrusted partnerships we have fostered with our developers, partners, and guests since our first landmark debut with The Great Wall Sheraton Hotel in Beijing in 1985."

Starwood has already opened 11 hotels in China in 2012 and expects to open another 13 hotels by year's end.

Sheraton Hotels, in particular, will continue to play a leading role in maintaining Starwood's premier position in the region, as its growth trajectory is on track to reach 90 hotels in Greater China by 2016. Driven by strong demand in second and third tier cities, Sheraton Hotels is slated to open seven new properties across China, including Changbaishan, Dalian, Huzhou, Hefei, Jiaozhou, Fuzhou and Macao by the end of 2012.

In addition, the Sheraton brand will celebrate its 75th anniversary with another distinguished landmark as the brand opens Starwood's largest hotel globally, Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central, which will also become the largest hotel in Macao. Located on Asia's own bustling Las Vegas strip, Sheraton Macao will open the first phase of its 3,863-room in September 2012 and be fully open by the end of first quarter of 2013. Featuring a main ballroom that is the size of over 11 basketball courts combined, the hotel will offer over 15,000 sq m of meeting space with access to a further 5,000 sq m within the Cotai Central complex. Leisure facilities will include three restaurants, poolside cafes and the world's largest Sheraton Club. The opening will further strengthen Starwood's lead as China's largest luxury and upper-upscale international hotel group.

The Westin brand boasts a pipeline of 11 new hotels set to join its existing portfolio of 16 award-winning properties, including The Westin Bund Center Shanghai and The Westin Guangzhou.

Globally renowned Le Meridien Hotels features 8 hotels in Qingdao, Chongqing, Xiamen, Shanghai, Shimei Bay, Sheshan, Taipei and Hong Kong, with an additional 6 hotels in the pipeline.

The Four Points by Sheraton brand has the company's second largest development pipeline in China. Benefiting from Sheraton Hotels' strong brand awareness, sister brand Four Points by Sheraton manages 15 hotels, with another 20 poised to open - primarily in growing second and third tier cities and tertiary markets.

After its debut in Beijing in 2008, Starwood's new Aloft brand continues to make inroads with 5 hotels in operations and 6 new hotels in the pipeline, making a total of 11 hotels by 2016.

The rise in high net worth individuals in China and around the globe has also paved the way for the expansion of Starwood's luxury brands, St. Regis, The Luxury Collection and W Hotels.

Industry innovator W Hotels will debut the first W hotel in mainland China with W Guangzhou by the beginning of 2013. It is also preparing to open another 4 hotels by 2017 in Macau, Beijing, Shanghai and Changsha.

Since its first debut with The Astor Tianjin Hotel in 2008, Starwood's distinctive The Luxury Collection brand will have quadrupled its footprint by the end of 2012 with the openings of The Hongta Hotel, Twelve at Hengshan in Shanghai, and The Royal Begonia on Hainan Island, China's first resort in The Luxury Collection brand. Five more hotels are scheduled to debut under The Luxury Collection brand by 2016 in key cities including Dalian, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Xiamen and Nanning.

After a growth spurt of three openings in 2011, including hotels in Shenzhen, Sanya, and Tianjin, St. Regis has fast become a favorite for visiting heads of state and celebrities. With current presence in Beijing, Lhasa, Sanya and Shenzhen, St. Regis will debut more than six hotels in Changsha, Macau, Chengdu, Lijiang, Zhuhai and Nanjing.

Demand for upper-upscale hotel brands in resort destinations are also on the rise, as a limited supply of rooms in popular destinations are being outstripped by the growing numbers of Chinese luxury travelers.