Starwood Hotels & Resorts has reveled that it will double its portfolio of hotels in Greater China, with 100 properties now open and another 100 in the pipeline.
The Sheraton brand alone is expected to reach 90 hotels in Greater China by 2016, including seven new properties to open by the end of 2012. These include what will become the largest Starwood hotel in the world – the 3,863-room Sheraton Macao Hotel Cotai Central, which will open in September.
The Westin brand has a pipeline of 11 new hotels, in addition to its existing portfolio of 16 properties, while Le Méridien now features eight hotels with an additional six in the pipeline. The Four Points by Sheraton brand has the company’s second largest development pipeline in China, with 20 hotels under development, while a further six Aloft properties will also be added.
“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, Starwood’s Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer. “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 by year’s end.