WESTIN HOTELS & RESORTS REACHES 200TH HOTEL MILESTONE
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Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced that its world-renowned Westin brand has reached the 200th hotel milestone with the opening of The Westin Chongqing Liberation Square in China. Westin will follow this growth milestone with the opening of three more hotels in China: The Westin Zhujiajian Resort in Zhoushan, The Westin Blue Bay Resort in Qingshui Bay, Hainan and The Westin Haikou in Hainan. Starwood expects to open a total of nine new Westin hotels worldwide in 2014 and nearly another 30 by the end of 2016, with almost half of those new hotels in Asia Pacific, the brand’s fastest growing region.
“The Westin brand has built a strong foundation and following in established markets over the last decade, and the fact that we have opened our 200th Westin in China is illustrative of the phenomenal demand we are now experiencing in Asia Pacific, as well as our strong and deep-routed local teams in dynamic markets worldwide. Emerging markets now account for nearly 70 per cent of the Westin development pipeline, fueled by accelerating demand in China and India, where rising wealth and rapid urbanisation have generated a fierce appetite for strong global brands,” said Simon Turner, President of Global Development, Starwood.
“In just the past five years, Westin has evolved from a primarily North American brand to a global growth leader due to the tremendous worldwide appeal of its distinctive wellness positioning. We are experiencing rapid growth not only in Asia Pacific, but also in the Middle East and throughout the Americas. Renowned as one of the industry’s most innovative brands, Westin has cultivated a loyal following among global travelers, which in turn has created a buzz among owners and developers who are eager to introduce Westin to new markets worldwide,” said Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader, Westin Hotels & Resorts and Le Meridien.