Starwood signs Three New Hotels in Saudi Arabia

Starwood has signed a long-term management agreement with the Alhokair Group to open three new hotels in Saudi Arabia. With the addition of these three new properties - the Four Points by  Sheraton Mall of Arabia in Jeddah, Four Points by Sheraton Dhahran and Aloft Riyadh - Starwood’s portfolio in Saudi Arabia increases to an impressive total of 13 hotels.

The Middle East continues to be one of the strongest components of Starwood’s rapidly growing global portfolio, as the company continues to expand in the region at record rates. Currently, Starwood operates 50 hotels and resorts in the Middle East under five of its nine brands, including Sheraton, Le Méridien, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton and the Luxury Collection. The company expects to double its portfolio in the broader Europe, Africa and the Middle East region to approximately 500 properties by 2013.

The Four Points by Sheraton Mall of Arabia is scheduled to open in early 2010 in a prime location in Jeddah, less than three miles from the King Abdul Aziz International Airport and just five miles from the old city. The new-build hotel will provide direct access to the Mall of Arabia, Jeddah’s premier shopping complex, which is home to numerous retail stores, restaurants, an office complex, a gold Souk and an entertainment area with an ice rink.

The hotel will offer 300 spacious rooms, a lively social atmosphere, and popular extras such as complimentary bottled water and free high-speed Internet. Facilities will two restaurants, a lobby lounge, swimming pool, poolside snack bar, fitness center, business center and more than 3,000 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting space for events and conferences.

The Four Points by Sheraton Dhahran is expected to open in early 2011 at the prominent intersection of Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Road and King Saud Road in Dhahran, a major administrative center for Saudi Arabia’s oil industry. The hotel’s location adjacent to the state-of-the-art Mall of Dhahran will provide guests with easy access to dining, shopping and entertainment. The newly constructed hotel will be 24 miles from the King Fahd International Airport and 20 miles from the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The hotel will feature 236 comfortable rooms and suites ranging from deluxe room to Executive Suites, as well as two restaurants and a cozy lobby lounge where guests can relax with friends and colleagues while sipping their favorite beverages. The hotel will also offer a swimming pool, fitness center, gift shop and more than 3,700 square feet of meeting space for meetings and conferences of various sizes.

Scheduled to open in early 2011, Aloft Riyadh will be the second Aloft in the Middle East, following the opening of Aloft Abu Dhabi in 2009. Aloft Riyadh will be situated in the Olaya district at the intersection of Olaya Street and Mecca Road, which links Riyadh to Jeddah and Saudi Arabia’s eastern province. The new-build hotel will offer 225 spacious rooms, tech-savvy touches and easy access to Riyadh’s commercial and shopping hubs. Additional facilities include the re:mix communal lobby area, bar w xyz, the re:charge fitness center, the splash pool and re:fuel by aloft – a one-stop food and beverage area.

Guest rooms will feature the Aloft brand’s signature nine-foot ceilings and oversized windows as well as oversized walk-in showers and amenities created by Bliss Spa. Each room at Aloft Riyadah will be a combination high-tech office and entertainment center equipped with wireless internet access and a one-stop connectivity solution for multiple electronic gadgetry all linked to a 42” flat-panel television.

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