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 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc (NYSE: HOT) continues its aggressive expansion momentum in China with the signing of its first Four Points by Sheraton hotel in the capital city of China : Four Points by Sheraton Beijing, Haidian. Starwood and Beijing Yongtai Real Estate Development Ltd announced today for Starwood to manage this new-build hotel, which will open in July 2009.
Four Points by Sheraton Beijing, Haidian will be part of an integrated mixed-use complex with offices, hotel and retail center, and will be located in Haidian district, near the Western fourth ring road of Beijing. This is a newly developed area and within 20 minutes’ drive to the Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park, a major information technology hub in Beijing, as well as the Haidian government district and major universities and research institutes. The hotel’s facilities will include 301 guestrooms, 16,800 square feet of meeting space, three restaurants, health club, spa, indoor swimming pool and business center. Besides its appeal to business travelers, the hotel is expected to be popular with leisure travelers as well given its proximity to famous tourist attractions such as Summer Palace and Fragrance Hill.
The signing of Four Points by Sheraton Beijing, Haidian heralds the continued expansion of the Four Points by Sheraton brand in China and in Asia Pacific. The brand was first introduced to China with the opening of Four Points by Sheraton Shenzhen in late 2004 and subsequently the opening of the first Four Points in Shanghai this year: Four Points by Sheraton Shanghai, Pudong. Other Four Points by Sheraton hotels in Asia-Pacific are located in Sydney and Geelong in Australia as well as in Chung Ho, Taiwan. New Four Points by Sheraton additions will be coming to Dalian, Daning ( in Shanghai), Changshu, Tianjin, Hangzhou and now Beijing. Four Points by Sheraton Beijing, Haidian will also be the fifth Starwood property in Beijing, joining St. Regis Hotel, Beijing, The Great Wall Sheraton Beijing Hotel, The Westin Beijing, Financial Street and The Westin Beijing, Chaoyang. The two Westins in Financial Street and Chaoyang are slated to open in 2006 and 2008 respectively.
“We are very proud to be working in partnership with Beijing Yongtai Real Estate Development Ltd to introduce Four Points by Sheraton brand’s unique service culture, and its many innovative and signature services and products to travelers visiting Beijing in future. Four Points by Sheraton is an ideal product for many markets in Asia Pacific because the brand caters to both mid-scale business and leisure travelers and to the requirements of meeting and event planners,” commented Miguel Ko, President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Asia Pacific. “Haidian district and the 100 square kilometer information technology (IT) zone have attracted more than 1,000 foreign invested companies and more than 7,000 small and medium IT companies. This presents tremendous potential and demand for rooms by both domestic and international travelers. We look forward to offering these travelers a comfortable, fun and fuss-free hotel experience that at the same time provides great value in the near future.” added Ko.
Recognizing the great potential China offers to both the inbound and outbound travelers, Starwood Hotels & Resorts has expanded its footprint in China aggressively in the past 24 months. The hotel giant now operates 28 hotels in mainland China, Taiwan and Macau, with 28 under construction, and is the one of the largest international upscale hotel operators in China.
Four Points by Sheraton brand understands the needs of their customers by delivering products and services that offer a new kind of style and comfort. The brand's current global expansion and development includes choice urban and resort markets such as Soho Village (New York City); Chicago, Illinois; Levis, Quebec, Canada; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Dalian, Changshu, Shanghai, Tianjin, Hangzhou in China; Cocoa Beach, Florida; and Puerto Rico. |
