Starwood Expects to Open Up to 100 Hotels in 2010

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. expects to open another 80 to 100 high-quality new-build and conversion hotels in 2010, coming off of the 83 opened and 77 new deals signed in 2009. Of these new hotels, roughly 70 percent will be outside of North America, with the majority in Asia Pacific.

And Starwood’s upper upscale and luxury brands are leading the charge, representing more than 60 percent of the new openings. Among these hotels and resorts is expected to be Starwood’s 1,000th property globally.

To meet the growing demand for high-quality lodging in China, Starwood plans to double its portfolio there to 100 hotels by 2012. In 2010, Starwood is slated to open approximately 30 hotels in the market, including both The Luxury Collection and W brands’ first hotels in mainland China.

The St. Regis, Westin, Le Meridien and Four Points by Sheraton brands will also increase their Chinese presence in 2010, while the Sheraton brand is experiencing the most robust growth and represents half the year’s total openings. Growth is also fertile in India, where Starwood has already opened 25 hotels and plans to increase its portfolio roughly 60 percent by the end of 2012.

Starwood’s steady expansion in India is fueled by several of its brands including Westin, which will open two new hotels this year. And last year’s debut of the Four Points by Sheraton brand in India will soon be followed by the upcoming launch of the Aloft brand, which is set to open three hotels there by the end of 2010.

In North America, which represents half of Starwood’s current portfolio, the company is slated to open approximately 30 hotels in 2010. Among these best-in-class properties are Aloft Brooklyn, New York; Element New York-Times Square; Sheraton Tribeca New York; and St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico. Growth in the New York City market is a key focus in 2010, with Starwood opening six hotels there and introducing its two newest brands -- Aloft and Element.

Building on the 244 existing Starwood properties in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Starwood and its development partners are slated to open approximately a dozen more in the division, including Europe’s first Aloft. The St. Regis Mauritius Resort, which is on track to open this fall, is a conversion property, and will be the company’s fourth hotel on the island nation.

In Latin America, Starwood and its development partners see continued long-term opportunities as demand growth significantly outpaces supply. And with low presence of international brands, particularly in the luxury segment, Starwood is poised for expansion throughout Latin America.

In 2010, Starwood will debut the Westin brand in Peru -- The Westin Libertador, Lima -- and open the country’s second property under the Luxury Collection brand -- Tambo Del Inka, A Luxury Collection Hotel. The Westin brand will also open its fifth hotel in Mexico and its first in Mexico City with The Westin Santa Fe.