SHANGHAI-June
22, 2011-Adding even more muscle to its portfolio in China,
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc (NYSE:HOT) today announced
that its iconic Sheraton brand will open seven more hotels in China
before the end of September. News of these openings coincides with a
month-long relocation of Starwood’s global headquarters to Shanghai,
China. This unprecedented managerial endeavor highlights Starwood’s
evolution as a global company and the development boom in China.
In the next two years, nearly half of all new Starwood hotels slated to
open in China will fly the Sheraton flag. This summer, Sheraton will
open its second hotel in Beijing, its second in Xian, and its first in
Chongqing, Yantai, Guangzhou, Zhenjiang, Wanning and Hangzhou. This
surge in new hotel openings will grow the Sheraton brand’s footprint
not only in China’s largest and most established cities, but also in
many of the country’s fast-growing metropolises and resort
destinations. With the addition of these seven hotels, Sheraton will
grow its portfolio to 42 hotels in China by year’s end, moving Starwood
closer to its goal of operating 100 hotels in China by the end of 2012.
“The remarkable success of Sheraton in China continues to drive
Starwood’s growth and widen its position as the country’s leading
operator of four and five star hotels,” said Hoyt Harper, global brand
leader for Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. “Sheraton is focused on
meeting the needs of Chinese travelers within China, as well as across
our portfolio of more than 400 hotels around the world.”
China will play an outsized role in global travel over the next decade,
with 100 million outbound travelers expected by 2015. China also
continues to be the richest source of new loyal travelers for Starwood,
as evidenced by the 71% jump in Chinese enrollment in Starwood
Preferred Guest last year. Starwood’s first-mover advantage in China
dates back to 1985 with the landmark debut of The Great Wall Sheraton
Hotel in Beijing, the first international branded hotel in China.
“The rich legacy of the Sheraton brand in China has given Starwood a
considerable head start in this fertile market, where we now have 74
hotels flying eight of Starwood’s nine brand flags and another 90 in
development,” said Miguel Ko, Chairman and President of Starwood’s
Asia-Pacific Division, a Chinese native who began his career with
Starwood in 1979. “We attribute our success in China to our
longstanding native Chinese teams plus our strong relationships with
local owners who recognize the tremendous benefits of joining the
Starwood network.”
Sheraton Xian North City Hotel –
Xian
Sheraton Xian North City Hotel will open in a convenient
location outside the North Gate of the city wall near the city’s
numerous corporate and government offices. The second Sheraton in Xian,
Sheraton Xian North City Hotel will offer 491 guest rooms, more than
18,000 square feet of meeting facilities and three restaurants. One of
the four ancient capitals of China with more than 3,000 years of
history, Xian is the capital of Shaanxi Province and an important
economic, cultural and educational center. Sheraton Xian North City
Hotel will be close to both the train station and the Xian Xianyang
International Airport, and convenient to Xian’s many temples,
historical monuments, ruins and museums.
Sheraton Beijing Dongcheng Hotel
– Beijing
Sheraton Beijing Dongcheng Hotel will open on Beijing’s
north Third Ring Road in the heart of the city’s transportation
network. The new hotel will feature 441 guest rooms and a variety of
international cuisine at its four restaurants, as well as more than
25,000 square feet of meeting and function space. Guests will enjoy
convenient easy access to Tiananmen Square, Financial Street, Forbidden
City and the Great Wall. Sheraton Beijing Dongcheng Hotel will be the
second Sheraton in Beijing, where the brand first debuted more than 25
years ago.
Sheraton Zhenjiang Hotel –
Zhenjiang
Sheraton Zhenjiang Hotel, located in the heart of the
city, will be just steps from a variety of upscale shopping and
entertainment. It will be the first Sheraton in Zhenjiang and will
feature 289 guest rooms and suites, indoor pool, fitness center, spa,
several restaurants and more than 33,000 square feet of meeting
facilities. Zhenjiang is an important transportation hub within Jiangsu
province and one of China’s busiest port cities.
Sheraton Shenzhou Peninsula
Resort – Wanning
Sheraton Shenzhou Penninsula Resort will offer a prime
beachfront location on Hainan Island to the southeast of Wanning City.
Marking the Sheraton brand’s debut on Hainan Island, Sheraton Shenzhou
Penninsula Resort will feature 307 rooms, more than 9,000 square feet
of meeting space, a Shine Spa for Sheraton, and swimming pool
surrounded by tropical gardens. Known as the “Hawaii of the East,”
Hainan Island offers a variety of outdoor recreation including golf,
fishing and water sports.
Sheraton Hangzhou Wetland Park
Resort - Hangzhou
Sheraton Hangzhou Wetland Park Resort will be set in a
picturesque location in the Yangtze River Delta on China’s southeastern
coast. The first Sheraton to open in Hangzhou, Sheraton Hangzhou
Wetland Park Resort will offer 383 guest rooms, more than 12,000 square
feet of meeting space, three restaurants and a spa. One of China’s
seven ancient capitals, Hangzhou is the current capital of Zhenjiang
Province and is known for its breathtaking landscapes and wealth of
historic sites. Guests will enjoy proximity to Hefang Street, a
pedestrian street lined with shops and teahouses, museums and numerous
corporate offices.
Sheraton Guangzhou Hotel -
Guangdong
The 445-room Sheraton Guangzhou Hotel will be located in
the heart of Guangzhou’s Tianhe central business district and will be
part of Tee Mall, the leading commercial and shopping complex in the
city. The hotel is located just steps from the newly renovated
Guangzhou Sports Centre.
Sheraton Guangzhou Huadu Resort
- Guangdong
The Sheraton Guangzhou Huadu Resort will open in Beixin
Town in the northeastern part of Huadu city in China’s Guangdong
Province. The magnificent resort will feature more than 100 remarkable
deluxe rooms, villas, and suites providing guests with exhilarating
views. The brand new resort will sit at the Li Zui Reservoir,
surrounded by picturesque mountains and lakes. The hotel is located 45
minutes by car from downtown Guangzhou, and 15 minutes from Huadu and
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN).
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, like all brands within Starwood’s robust
portfolio, is proud to offer the Starwood Preferred Guest® program,
which made headlines when it launched in 1999 with a breakthrough
policy of no blackout dates on Free Night Awards. SPG® offers
members the ability to redeem awards at more resorts, more luxury
properties, more European hotels and more golf properties than any
other hotel program.
About Sheraton Hotels &
Resorts
Sheraton helps guests make connections at more than 400
hotels in 70 countries around the world and recently completed a $6
billion global revitalization and is now in the midst of a $5 billion
global expansion over the next three years. Sheraton is owned by and is
the largest and most global brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc., one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the
world with 1,051 properties in 100 countries and territories with
145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels
is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts
and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St.
Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le
Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and
the recently launched Aloft®, and Element SM. The company boasts
one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred
Guest (SPG), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays,
room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood Hotels also
owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers
and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For
more information, please visit
www.starwoodhotels.com.