hospitalitystyle.com

(November 2009) posted on Thu Nov 19, 2009 EST

Seventy percent of flag’s development pipeline outside the U.S.

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Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. announced that it will open six new Westin hotels the remaining six weeks of the year – and that four of those properties are overseas, reflecting an ongoing global push by the brand.

“The Westin brand is at a pivotal point in its life cycle, with an unprecedented opportunity for international growth,” said Nancy London, vice president of Westin Hotels. “Today, 111 of our 163 existing hotels are in North America. But looking ahead, we will see a seismic shift in this number with 70 percent of the pipeline located outside the United States in markets throughout Asia and the Middle East. As secular changes create more business and leisure travel to and from these emerging markets, it is critical that we establish a leading presence there today to ensure the success of the Westin brand tomorrow.”

The four Westin properties slated to open by the end of the year include three in India -- The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace, The Westin Mumbai Garden City and The Westin Pune Koregaon Park – and one in China, The Westin Tianjin. The U.S. hotels are The Westin Washington Dulles Airport and The Westin Lake Mary, Orlando North. Next year, the company plans to open a total of 12 properties in the following countries: Canada, China, Greece, Japan, India, Mexico and the United States.