Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is a famous hotelier, so it can make truly ambitious targets like opening 50 new hotels within next 3-5 years. All properties are planned for launching in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Starwood manages mostly upscale hotels and so the majority of these 50 accommodations are expected to represent luxury segment. 12 hotels will open their doors already this year. These are not the only properties that are going to be opened this year as for 2011 Starwood’s forecasts reach 70-80 hotels around the world.
Currently the hotelier has 9 brands of world-class. The company seeks new managing deals and would prefer newly built hotels. Simon Turner, the president of global development of Starwood, says the company is particularly interested in East Central Europe and its rapidly developing markets.
Among the properties that will be opened in the nearest future are 5 hotels in Italy, Qatar, the UAE and Mauritius under the St. Regis brand; the first Le Méridien hotel in Turkey and first hotels in Paris, London and St. Petersburg under the W Hotels brand.
In Russia Starwood will double its portfolio by 2013 and the hotelier will also increase its portfolio in Turkey for 60%. Le Méridien hotel in Istanbul will be opened already this year and in 2013 Starwood will launch Sheraton and Aloft hotels in Bursa.
The hotelier also makes large investments into its existing properties. The company will spend over US$100 million into the renovation of Gritti Palace hotel in Venice, Maria Christina hotel in San Sebastian, Alfonso XII hotel in Seville, Prince de Galles hotel in Paris and Imperial hotel in Vienna.