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  • Starwood to extend Latin America hotel footprint by 50%

    Starwood Hotels & Resorts increases its operating hotel footprint in Latin America by 50 percent through the next five years, opening an ordinary of 7 new hotels per year within the region.

    Emphasizing Latin American’s growth potential as one of the most world’s fastest growing hotel and travel markets, Starwood’s CEO Frits van Paasschen and members of the company’s senior executive team visited Latin America last week, traveling to key growth markets, including Brazil and Colombia.

    “Macro-economic trends continue to reshape the Latin American travel and business landscape, creating strong growth in lodging demand and lots opportunities for Starwood to expand inside the region,” said Frits van Paasschen, President and CEO, Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

    “At an analogous time, Latin America’s middle class grew by 50 percent within the last decade and this increase in wealth signifies that there are an increasing number of those with the means to travel and an increasing appetite for global, luxury brands like ours.” Frits added.

    As the 1st international hotel company in Latin America dating back to the outlet of the Sheraton Maria Isabel in Mexico City in 1963, Starwood today is the most important high end hotel operator within the region with 72 hotels in 13 countries and a complete of 15,600 rooms. Since 2007, the corporate has grown by 36% in Latin America.

    In the last two years the corporate opened 13 hotels, including its debut in Costa Rica with Westin Playa Conchal, Starwood’s first all-inclusive hotel on earth.

    Starwood has a pipeline of nineteen hotels with a complete of three,200 new rooms in development. Within the rest of 2013, Starwood expects to open six more hotels with a complete of one,100 rooms, covering four brands across four countries.

    “Latin America is emblematic of the expansion we’re seeing in regions worldwide and key to our development plans,” said Simon Turner, President of worldwide Development & Acquisition, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “There is robust affinity for all of our brands within the region around the luxury, upper upscale and mid-market segments, and we’re trying to build in this interest with new world-class hotels within the right places, with the correct partners.”

    “We are optimistic concerning the way forward for our company in Latin America because we’ve various competitive advantages, including an extended-established presence for greater than 40 years, local know-how and robust relationships driven by our in-market teams,” said Osvaldo Librizzi, co-president of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Americas. “Combined with our world-renowned lifestyle brands, we’re well-positioned to grow and maintain our lead available in the market.”

    Brazil
    With greater than 80% of the world’s economic growth coming from fast-growing markets over the following few years, Brazil is a key focus for the corporate. Underscoring the significance of the rustic, van Paasschen and members of Starwood’s senior executive team met with hotel owners, customers and investors in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Recife, and Salvador to judge new projects. Additionally they visited the enduring Sheraton Rio Hotel & Resort in Rio de Janeiro, one among Starwood’s most respected owned-assets within the region. In 2012, the hotel began a multi-million dollar renovation project that’s component to Sheraton Hotels & Resorts’ ongoing commitment to improve its global portfolio and reflects Starwood’s unwavering commitment to Brazil. Renovations are expected to be complete by the second one quarter of next year.

    “There is vital opportunity for hotel development in Brazil by reason of its sheer size, natural beauty, and relative under penetration, particularly on the high end. We wish to bring our skills and expertise at operating high-quality branded hotels to this dynamic market, and believe rising rates and occupancies, and clear pent up demand for travel, make this a promising time to pursue growth opportunities,” added van Paasschen.

    Starwood currently has eight hotels in a few of the main cities within the country, including Sheraton Rio Hotel & Resort and Sheraton Barra Hotel & Suites in Rio de Janeiro; Sheraton Vitoria Hotel; Sheraton São Paulo WTC, Sheraton Porto Alegre Hotel, Four Points by Sheraton Curitiba, Four Points by Sheraton Macaé and the Sheraton da Bahia Hotel in Salvador, that is celebrating its recent inauguration today. Sheraton Reserva do Paiva Hotel & Convention Center near Recife is scheduled to open within the first quarter of 2014.

    Colombia
    Starwood executives also hung out in Colombia meeting with owners and partners and visiting the positioning of the longer term W Bogota, that allows you to mark the brand’s entry into the rustic. Previously years, Colombia has made important steps in enhancing its economy and hotel infrastructure, becoming a fine looking destination for foreign investment and international hotel brands. Starwood have been found in Colombia for nearly two decades, and today, the corporate has several exciting projects inside the pipeline, including Four Points by Sheraton Bogota, Sheraton Cartagena Hotel, and W Bogota- all slated to open in 2014.

    “We believe that Colombia is a rustic ripe with opportunities for growth and we plan to expand our brands within the major cities and secondary markets within the future years with development partners who’ve a proven track record of success and seek a brand new and exciting growth vehicle,” van Paasschen concluded.

    Starwood currently has four hotels in Colombia, including Sheraton Bogota Hotel, Four Points by Sheraton Medellin, Four Points by Sheraton Cali and Aloft Bogotá Airport.

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  • News: Starwood Hotels concludes month-long immersion in Dubai

    Marking the belief of Starwood’s month-long relocation to Dubai, Frits van Paasschen, President & CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has shared highlights and insights from the company’s immersion within the Middle East.

    Throughout the month of March, van Paasschen and members of Starwood’s Senior Leadership Team met with 3,000 associates, conducted nearly 50 owner meetings and visited all 14 Starwood hotels in Dubai, that is the company’s second largest hotel market behind only Ny city. The team also took good thing about Dubai’s strategic location to travel to 19 cities across 12 countries, meeting with government officials and potential development partners in fast-growing markets, including Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and India. In the course of the five-week relocation, the team travelled 61,000 kilometres (38,000 miles) – the equivalent of circling the globe one and half times.

    Over the process the month, greater than 200 of Starwood’s senior leaders and General Managers travelled to Dubai because the company ran day-to-day operations almost 7,000 miles and an eight-hour time zone difference far from the company’s global headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.

    During the relocation, Starwood executives also met with greater than 150 corporate and leisure customers who drive business to hotels globally. The center East is an increasingly important outbound travel market, and regional membership in Starwood Preferred Guest, the company’s loyalty program, has increased 140% over the past five years.

    “It is tough to overstate the opportunity of our business on this region of the sector. By bringing our executives here and spending time with our partners and native teams, we’re uniquely positioned to exploit this once-in-a-lifetime growth opportunity,” said van Paasschen. “I don’t have any doubt that our time spent here will drive future hotel contracts within the region, accelerate Starwood’s position because the most global high-end hotel company and additional define our culture.”

    Last month Starwood announced that it’s going to increase its Middle East and Africa (MEA) portfolio by greater than 60 percent with nearly 50 new hotels set to open over a better five years, adding greater than 14,000 guest rooms to the region and creating thousands of local employment opportunities. With 82 operating hotels and over 20 hotels expected to open by the top of 2015, Starwood is heading in the right direction to arrive a milestone 100 hotels across MEA.

    “With 80 percent of Starwood’s pipeline coming from rapidly growing markets, it’s important for us to stay on the forefront of latest travel demands and changing travel patterns,” said Simon Turner, President of world Development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “The Middle East is experiencing rapid economic growth, a growing middle class and ever greater global connectivity, and the Dubai relocation may help us expand all of our brands across this significant region.”

    The company also announced a comprehensive renovation strategy for its Le Méridien brand, for which Starwood and its ownership groups will invest greater than $200 million within the renovations of 13 hotels and resorts inside the MEA region over the subsequent 3 years.

    Following the company’s successful relocation to China in June 2011, this second leadership move reflects Starwood’s innovative management technique to cultivating a more global culture by understanding, appreciating and leveraging different societal and associate perspectives and approaches to business and hospitality.

  • News: Starwood Hotels luxury footprint doubles in five years

    Starwood Hotels & Resorts has announced its luxury footprint has nearly doubled worldwide in five years to fulfill growing global demand. Starwood is lengthening its lead in luxury hospitality with greater than 160 hotels in 39 countries as portion of The luxurious Collection, St. Regis and W brands, offering guests and residents personalised service and exceptional experiences world wide.  Looking ahead, Starwood will add 50 luxury hotels in 12 new countries over the subsequent five years.

    Today, 85 percent of Starwood’s luxury guests hail from generations X and Y, and the corporate is uniquely positioned to cater to this emerging and ever-more global generation of affluent travellers. Starwood continues to aggressively spend money on the creation, renovation and restoration of its luxury pipeline in anticipation of a seismic growth of worldwide luxury demand. Luxury makes up fifteen percent of Starwood’s total pipeline, and 90 percent of its future luxury hotels will open in emerging markets, including the 1st W Hotel in mainland China with W Guangzhou and the 1st St. Regis hotel in Africa with the debut of The St. Regis Mauritius Resort.

  • New leadership for Starwood in Europe

    Starwood Hotels & Resorts has announced Roeland Vos, long-time president of Starwood Europe, Africa, & Middle East, will step down and be succeeded by Michael Wale, a 35-year Starwood veteran who most recently served as senior vice chairman and director of operations for Western Europe.

    Vos will transition right into a consulting role with the corporate, effective June 1st, 2013.

    Frits van Paasschen, president and chief executive, Starwood, stated: “We are grateful to Roeland for his many outstanding contributions to Starwood during his greater than 30 years with the corporate.

    “One of one of the most respected operators within the industry, Roeland has overseen Starwood’s growth across a various region, and through his 12-year tenure leading EAME we’ve nearly doubled our hotel footprint within the region and accelerated our business in key fast-growing markets. 

    “We are delighted that Roeland will continue to work with Starwood in a consulting role to support development and the expansion of our brands around the EAME region.”

    van Paasschen continued: “At an analogous time, Starwood is fortunate to have a deep bench of world talent, and we continue our legacy of marketing from within, appointing certainly one of our proven leaders to a position of expanded responsibility. 

    “Michael was instrumental in strengthening the profile of Starwood’s brands across Europe, including launching new brands in select markets, and restoring marquee and comfort properties in others.

    “With his combination of strategic vision, management experience, relationships with associates and customers, and an international sensibility, Michael is perfectly positioned to supervise Starwood’s continued growth as our new President of Europe, Africa and the center East.”

    Vos joined Starwood in 1982 and has held progressive management positions throughout his career, including president, Europe and senior vice chairman, area director of Italy & Malta.

  • Starwood Hotels luxury footprint doubles in five years

    Starwood Hotels & Resorts has announced its luxury footprint has nearly doubled worldwide in five years to fulfill growing global demand. Starwood is lengthening its lead in luxury hospitality with greater than 160 hotels in 39 countries as portion of The posh Collection, St. Regis and W brands, offering guests and residents personalised service and exceptional experiences worldwide.  Looking ahead, Starwood will add 50 luxury hotels in 12 new countries over the following five years.

    Today, 85 percent of Starwood’s luxury guests hail from generations X and Y, and the corporate is uniquely positioned to cater to this emerging and ever-more global generation of affluent travellers. Starwood continues to aggressively put money into the creation, renovation and restoration of its luxury pipeline in anticipation of a seismic growth of worldwide luxury demand. Luxury makes up fifteen percent of Starwood’s total pipeline, and 90 percent of its future luxury hotels will open in emerging markets, including the primary W Hotel in mainland China with W Guangzhou and the primary St. Regis hotel in Africa with the debut of The St. Regis Mauritius Resort.