Starwood signs Two New Westin Hotels in India

Starwood Hotels & Resorts is to manage two new Westin hotels in India - The Westin Bangalore and The Westin Sohna Resort.

Starwood also recently signed for a new Westin in Gurgaon, New Delhi. With the signing of The Westin Bangalore and The Westin Sohna Resort, Starwood now has 21 hotels and resorts in operation and under development in India under its Westin, Sheraton, and Le Meridien brands.

“We are delighted to bring the Westin name to these two choice locations in India. The signing of these two Westins in a key gateway city like Bangalore, and a resort destination like Sohna just outside of Delhi helps to further strengthen the brand’s presence in India as well as to drive awareness of the brand from New Delhi to Bangalore and eventually to other commercial centers and resort markets in India,”said Miguel Ko, President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Asia-Pacific.

“Recent research shows that India is the fastest-growing Asia Pacific market for international tourist spending. Tourist spending in India grew by 25% alone in the last quarter of 2005, and this growth is expected to accelerate significantly over the next few years. There are definitely tremendous growth opportunities for us in the gateway cities as well as in the relatively underdeveloped resort market. We are very excited to be working in partnership with Vatika Group, one of the leading real estate players in India, to introduce Westin with its new brand positioning around personal renewal by offering guests the services, products and amenities that allow them to relax, rejuvenate and restore during their stay for years to come,” added Ko.

The Westin Bangalore - Scheduled to open in 2009, The Westin Bangalore will feature 300 rooms, five dining outlets, 20,000 square feet of meeting and function space, and a 10,000 square feet health and spa center, as well as retail outlets.

Located strategically in Hebbal in northern Bangalore and in close proximity to Hebbal Lake (a prominent landmark in Bangalore), The Westin Bangalore will provide travelers with easy access to the new international airport and the emerging central business district in northern Bangalore. Similar to other cities in India, the city of Bangalore is shifting from the existing central business district to the north of the city center primarily due to the scarcity of land. The shift of the business district and the new international airport to northern Bangalore, both in close proximity to the new Westin, provides the hotel with an advantageous position in the market. Though originally famous for Hebbal lake, Hebbal city is now better known for its infrastructure, parks, boating facilities and bird watching opportunities.

Bangalore is well known as one of the most popular IT (information technology) center worldwide, and has often been referred to as the Silicon Valley of India. The city gained its commercial popularity as an IT hub/center around the world following the entry of Microsoft, Intel, IBM and other similar companies, and will continue to be an important technological center in the emerging world. Bangalore is situated south of the financial capital Mumbai and national capital New Delhi and is easily accessible both along domestic and international air routes.

The Westin Sohna Resort - Scheduled to open end of December 2006, The Westin Sohna Resort will feature 100 rooms comprising 63 guestrooms, 36 one and two bedroom villas, and a presidential villa, three dining outlets, 11,500 square feet of meeting and function space, and a 12,400 square feet health and spa center.

The Westin Sohna Resort will be developed on a 35-acre site, which comprises residential villas, a club house and an 18-hole professional golf course. Positioned as both a small meeting and convention center as well as a wellness and spa retreat, the resort will be located in Sohna, a town which is approximately forty-five minutes’ drive south of Gurgaon in New Delhi, and approximately an hour’s drive from Delhi International Airport.

Sohna has received strong interest amongst the upper-middle classes in India as a weekend destination or as a market for a second home.

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