Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is on track to open more than 40 new hotels and resorts across Europe in the next five years, expanding its portfolio by almost 30 percent with openings in both fast-growing and established markets. The company is set to open five new hotels in Turkey this year, including the St. Regis Istanbul, which debuted on March 1st.
“2014 was a record year of deal signings for Starwood in Europe with consistent, sustainable high-quality portfolio growth in key European markets and sought-after destinations,” says Simon Turner, Starwood’s president of global development. “Our growth momentum continues this year with 14 hotels on track to open across Europe and strong owner interest in our nine lifestyle brands, backed by our loyalty program, the collective strength of our global platform, and our highly experienced local teams.”
Five new hotels in Turkey will bring its portfolio to 15 hotels across seven brands by the end of 2015. Starwood will also introduce the Four Points by Sheraton brand into the country with two properties in Batisehir and in Dudullu. The Sheraton brand will also open a hotel in Atasehir, on the Asian side of Istanbul, and recently entered the emerging coastal city of Samsun.
The introduction of Sheraton Ufa and a Four Points by Sheraton in Kaluga, mark the entry of the Four Points by Sheraton brand in Russia. With six more hotels in the pipeline, Starwood will double its footprint in Russia over the next three years.
In Germany, the company will launch the Aloft brand in Stuttgart and Munich this summer, and introduce the W and Element brands to the Netherlands by year-end with W Amsterdam. Three further additions to the Sheraton brand portfolio include expansion into Romania with the opening of Sheraton Bucharest this fall, the Sheraton Lake Como Hotel in Italy, and the Sheraton Dubrovnik Riviera Hotel in Croatia.
