Sheraton Set to Open Seven Properties in China This Summer

Adding even more muscle to its portfolio in China, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc HOT today announced that its iconic Sheraton brand will open seven more hotels in China before the end of September. News of these openings coincides with a month-long relocation of Starwood's global headquarters to Shanghai, China. This unprecedented managerial endeavor highlights Starwood's evolution as a global company and the development boom in China. In the next two years, nearly half of all new Starwood hotels slated to open in China will fly the Sheraton flag. This summer, Sheraton will open its second hotel in Beijing, its second in Xian, and its first in Chongqing, Yantai, Guangzhou, Zhenjiang, Wanning and Hangzhou. This surge in new hotel openings will grow the Sheraton brand's footprint not only in China's largest and most established cities, but also in many of the country's fast-growing metropolises and resort destinations. With the addition of these seven hotels, Sheraton will grow its portfolio to 42 hotels in China by year's end, moving Starwood closer to its goal of operating 100 hotels in China by the end of 2012. “The remarkable success of Sheraton in China continues to drive Starwood's growth and widen its position as the country's leading operator of four and five star hotels,” said Hoyt Harper, global brand leader for Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. “Sheraton is focused on meeting the needs of Chinese travelers within China, as well as across our portfolio of more than 400 hotels around the world.”