Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has signed an agreement with Jabal Omar Development Company to open three new hotels in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. As part of the Jabal Omar Development project, Starwood will add 1,496 rooms to the city under the company’s Sheraton, Westin, and Four Points by Sheraton brands when the hotels open in 2015.
Says Michael Wale, president of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East: “As business travel and religious tourism continue to expand in Saudi Arabia, we believe the time is right to expand our portfolio in the country.”
Al Haram⎯⎯the Jabal Omar Development⎯⎯is a 2,475,700-square-foot mixed-use development in Mecca comprised of 38 high-rise buildings. With 26 hotels and over 11,000 rooms, the complex is one of the largest hotel developments in the world.
The Sheraton Mecca Hotel will boast 532 guestrooms and suites and five food and beverage venues⎯⎯including two large buffet restaurants. The hotel will also offer more than 2,000 square feet of meeting and event space. With a modern design, Four Points by Sheraton Mecca will house 451 guestrooms, an all-day dining restaurant, a lounge, a business center, and some 1,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
Offering a tranquil atmosphere, Westin Mecca will feature 513 guestrooms and suites along with two buffet restaurants, as well as a specialty restaurant and two lounges. More than 2,500 square feet of meeting and function space will also be available.
“This landmark project⎯⎯featuring three of our lifestyle brands⎯⎯marks an important milestone for Starwood in the Middle East,” says Bart Carnahan, senior vice president acquisitions and development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East. “With eight hotels in the pipeline in the next three years, we are set to nearly double our portfolio in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Starwood currently operates 10 hotels in Saudi Arabia under the Sheraton and Le Méridien brands. With the signing of three new developments in Mecca, Starwood now has over 3,000 rooms in its Saudi Arabia pipeline.
