Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has revealed plans to open 35 hotels in the Middle East in the next three years, expanding its portfolio to over 80 hotels worldwide.
Making the announcement at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC), the hospitality group said Monday it would open seven new hotels in the Middle East this year in the UAE, Iraq and Bahrain.
Starwood has 46 hotels and more than 13,000 rooms in the Middle East and the region is key to its global expansion strategy and continued to be one of the company?s most rapidly growing markets, it said.
?Rising wealth and ever greater global connectivity are driving new travel patterns and demand for travel, creating a once-in-a-lifetime growth opportunity for our industry,? said president & CEO Frits van Paasschen.
?With Starwood?s long-established presence, local teams and strong relationships in the Middle East, which we further deepened during last year?s month-long re-location of our headquarters to Dubai, we are uniquely positioned to take advantage of these trends.?
Earlier this year, Starwood marked its entry into the Emirate of Ajman with the opening of Ajman Saray, a Luxury Collection Resort.
This September it will open a Sheraton hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road, marking Starwood?s 15th hotel in Dubai, the company?s second largest hotel market behind only New York City, which has 21 hotels.
It said the UAE was the largest growth market for the company in the Middle East with plans for more than 30 Starwood hotels by 2017.
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Source: Beatrice Thomas (2014), Starwood plans 35 new hotels in MidEast in 3yrs, Arabian Business http://www.arabianbusiness.com/starwood-plans-35-new-hotels-in-mideast-in-3yrs-549010.html published May 05, 2014. Viewed May 07, 2014.