STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced its Westin brand is on track to open its 200th hotel in the next 12 months, propelled by strong growth across Asia Pacific. Westin will open 11 new hotels this year, all but three outside the United States. More than half will open in China, the brand’s strongest growth market. Westin will also add new hotels in Indonesia, Panama City, New York and Snowmass, Colorado.
“A long-time developer favorite in the U.S., Westin has emerged as a global market leader as witnessed by our surge of new hotel development in Asia Pacific, as well as continued momentum in Latin America,” said Simon Turner, President of Global Development for Starwood. “Westin has been the brand to beat in the developed world for the better part of a decade now, with brand awareness well ahead of its competitive set despite a footprint one third the size.”
Westin Extends Reach in Latin America
Westin is picking up the pace of development in Latin America where the brand has doubled its footprint over the last 18 months. Following this year’s opening of The Westin Panama, the brand will boast 11 hotels in Latin America, spanning five countries: Mexico, Panama, Peru, Costa Rica and Guatemala.
“The Westin brand’s emphasis on well-being has struck a chord with travelers worldwide and helped propel us forward in both established and emerging markets,” said Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader, Westin Hotels & Resorts. “One of our most promising growth markets is Latin America, where demand for new hotels is building momentum.”
Key openings in 2011 included the first Westin in South America in Lima, Peru, the sixth Starwood hotel in Panama, which is emerging as a key financial hub in Latin America, and Starwood’s first all-inclusive resort – The Westin Playa Conchal Resort & Spa in Costa Rica.
Asia Pacific Demand Fuels the Westin Brand’s Global Growth
Westin will add six new hotels in China in 2012, resulting in a portfolio of 19 properties in this key market by year’s end, extending the brand’s reach in second and third tier cities. The new Westin hotels will open in fast-growing cities across China including Ningbo, Xiamen, Changbaishan, Taiyuan, Qingdao and Xian. These openings will be followed by four more Westin hotels in China by the end of 2013.
Indonesia will welcome its second Westin in 2012 – The Westin Ubud Resort & Spa, a highly anticipated addition to the brand’s growing resorts portfolio. Westin has also signed deals to debut in both Vietnam and Singapore by 2015.
About Westin Hotels & Resorts
Westin Hotels & Resorts makes the healthiest choices irresistibly appealing, so guests leave feeling better than when they arrived. With more than 186 hotels and resorts in over 36 countries and territories, Westin is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,090 properties in 100 countries and territories with 154,000 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, Aloft®, and ElementSM. 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.