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Starwood hotel vet and Hawaii/Pacific local to step down from leadership role
DestinationsLongtime Starwood Hotels & Resorts veteran Keith Vieira is retiring at year’s end from his leadership role as head of a region that includes Hawaii and French Polynesia. Vieira, 57, who has been Starwood’s senior vice president of operations for the two areas since 1998, has been a fixture in Hawaii’s hospitality industry for 40 [...]
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Starwood beats analysts’ Q1 forecasts as demand drives room rates
RoomsStarwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., whose brands include Sheraton and Westin, reported a quarterly profit that handily beat analysts’ expectations as more people checked into its hotels at higher room rates, particularly in North America. Shares of the company, which focuses on upscale customers, were up 2 percent before the bell on Tuesday. A [...]
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Starwood’s Aloft hotels let lobbies double as venues for local bands
RoomsOffering guests live entertainment is not a new concept in the hotel industry. In Las Vegas, major hotels regularly host acts such as Carrot Top and Penn & Teller. Aloft Hotels, the ultra-modern economy brand operated by Starwood Hotels & Resorts, has put a new twist on the idea, turning its hotel lobbies into concert [...]
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Starwood spots growth opportunity in India’s underserved temple towns
DestinationsStarwood Hotels and Resorts is lining up properties at leading temple towns such as Haridwar, Varanasi and Tirupati, and is on the verge of finalizing some deals by the end of the year. “It is a highly under-supplied market for people willing to spend and upgrade. Hence, we see a huge growth opportunity for some [...]
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Starwood’s temporary move to Dubai produces handful of new contracts
DestinationsUS hotel giant Starwood has said it expects to announce new hotel contracts in the Middle East as a result of its month-long relocation to Dubai, which concluded on Thursday. Frits van Paasschen, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide president and CEO, said meetings had been held in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and [...]
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Starwood will unload $3 billion in real estate, focus on management contracts
RoomsStarwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., owner of the St. Regis, Sheraton and Westin brands, plans to sell $2 billion to $3 billion of hotels in two to three years, Chief Executive Officer Frits van Paasschen said today. “If markets continue to improve for the sale of hotel assets,” properties in North America, Latin America [...]
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W opens first hotel in China, plans 5 more in next few years
DestinationsWith parent company Starwood investing heavily in the China market over the past several years — and even moving its CEO there for one month in 2011 — it was only a matter of time before the stylish W Hotels imprint made its way to the Mainland. This past week, with the grand opening of [...]
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Travel ads of the Week: Rugby, brand anthems, and a heavy dose of Mexico
TransportClever comparison can be a very effective way to send a well-worn message. In this week’s travel ad roundup, two of our travel brands make references to pedestrian occurrences: a dinner bill and a rugby game. The common points of reference clarify the companies’ ultimate message, and make the video stand out from the usual [...]
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Global hotel brands plot significant growth in sub-Saharan Africa
DestinationsNew hotels are springing up across Africa, despite the trials of bureaucratic delay and poor infrastructure, to take advantage of an increasing number of tourists and business travellers serving a growing middle class. The International Monetary Fund is forecasting economic growth of around 5.8 percent in sub-Saharan Africa this year, second only to developing Asia, [...]
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InterContinental CEO slams rival Starwood’s Dubai move as “PR stunt”
Rooms“I’m not into PR stunts. We are a global business and have been for a very long time. I have very senior and experienced executives based around the world, and this idea that your local team aren’t competent and you have to be there is a PR stunt. We run local and domestic businesses already. [...]
