Starwood’s Iconic Sheraton Brand Paves the Way for the Company’s Entry into Mauritania, Guinea, and South Sudan
LONDON - Tuesday, November 12th 2013 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS
WIRE)-- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.® (NYSE:HOT)
continues to strengthen its position as a leading global hotel operator
in Africa with the signing of three new Sheraton hotels, marking the
entrance of the company into Mauritania, Guinea and South Sudan by 2017.
With these signings, Starwood is on track to increase its African
portfolio by over 30% with more than 15 new hotels set to open over the
next five years. This growth will add more than 5,000 guest rooms to the
continent and create thousands of local employment opportunities.
Emphasizing
the importance of the region as one of the world’s fastest-growing
hotel and travel markets, Chief Executive Officer Frits van Paasschen
and members of Starwood’s senior executive team just returned from
visiting Africa for the fourth time in the last year. The team met with
hotel owners, customers, government officials and investors in Rwanda,
Guinea and South Sudan as the company remains focused on increasing its
footprint in Africa.
“Africa is home to many of the world’s
fastest growing economies, and there could not be a better time to
expand our footprint here,” said Frits van Paasschen, President and CEO,
Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “With increasing stability, vastly
improving infrastructure, rapid economic growth and a booming mobile
industry, this is Africa’s shining moment and we are committed to being a
part of it.”
Sheraton’s First-Mover Advantage
With the
largest footprint among Starwood’s portfolio and one of the world’s most
recognized hotel brands, Sheraton is often the first international
hotel brand to enter a market, paving the way for the introduction of
other Starwood brands. This holds true in Africa where Starwood entered
the market with the opening of Sheraton Cairo in 1971.
The
signings of Sheraton Nouakchott (Mauritania), Sheraton Conakry (Guinea)
and Sheraton Juba (South Sudan) further emphasize the strength of the
Sheraton brand in driving Starwood’s growth. These hotels bring the
Sheraton pipeline in Africa to six new hotels joining three currently in
development in Dakar (Senegal), Annaba (Algeria) and Tripoli (Libya).
“Our
Sheraton portfolio is stronger than ever following a highly successful,
global brand revitalization over the past several years, and today’s
announcement further underscores the brand’s record-breaking growth as
it stays on track to open its 500th hotel in 2016,” said Michael Wale,
President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa & Middle
East. “Our development strategy is focused on working with the right
partners on the right deals in the right locations. We are proud to
enter these long-standing partnerships with three landmark agreements to
grow Starwood’s portfolio in key markets throughout Africa.”
The Sheraton Conakry Hotel (2015)
Starwood
is set to enter the Republic of Guinea with the opening of the Sheraton
Conakry Hotel in 2015. Owned by Palma Guinea S.A, the hotel will mark a
milestone as it becomes the first IFC green-certified hotel in Africa.
Sheraton Conakry Hotel will be located in the exclusive Kipe district of
the capital, and offer 282 guest rooms, all-day dining and speciality
restaurants, a lobby bar as well as an outdoor swimming pool with a bar
and grill. Conveniently located just 15 minutes from Conakry
International Airport, the hotel will also feature more than 1,100
square meters of modern meeting and function space, including a ballroom
for special events, and is set to become the gathering place of choice
for global business travellers.
The Sheraton Juba Hotel (2015)
In
East Africa, the world’s newest country – the Republic of South Sudan –
will welcome its first international hotel development in 2015 when the
235-room Sheraton Juba Hotel opens. Owned by Tuscana National Limited,
the hotel will be situated on a picturesque 25,000 square meter site on
the banks of the Nile, four kilometres from the international airport.
The Sheraton Juba Hotel will feature river views from all guest rooms,
extensive landscaping and an outdoor swimming pool as well as
restaurant, sports and conference facilities, and is expected to become a
focal meeting and social venue as the country steps out onto the world
stage.
The Sheraton Nouakchott Hotel (2017)
The Sheraton
Nouakchott Hotel will be the first internationally-branded hotel in the
Mauritanian capital when it opens in 2017. Owned by Société Nationale
Industrielle et Minière (SNIM), the hotel will be located in the central
business district of Nouakchott, just four kilometres from the
international airport. The modern hotel will be designed with
Mauritanian-style architecture and will feature an all-day dining
restaurant and a specialty restaurant, a bar, an outdoor pool as well as
more than 1,500 square metres of meeting space.
All three hotels
will feature signature Sheraton experiences including the luxurious
all-white SweetSleeper beds, the Sheraton Club Rooms and Lounge, the
Link@SheratonSM experienced with Microsoft® and Sheraton Fitness by Core
Performance.
Starwood’s African Portfolio
Starwood
currently operates 37 hotels in 15 African countries, representing more
than 10,000 rooms in Algeria, Cameroon, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia,
Gabon, Gambia, Libya, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Seychelles, South
Africa, Tunisia and Uganda.
“Starwood has a long history of being
first movers in Africa and around the world, and our entry into three
new African markets speaks to Sheraton’s strong, global brand
recognition and Starwood’s reputation as a leading high-end hotel
operator,” said Bart Carnahan, Senior Vice President Acquisition &
Development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa & Middle
East. “These signings enhance our growing network of hotels on the
continent as we continue to look for opportunities to expand our
presence in this important growth market.”
About Sheraton Hotels & Resorts
Sheraton
helps guests make connections at more than 400 hotels in nearly 70
countries around the world and recently completed a $6 billion global
revitalization and is now in the midst of an $8 billion global expansion
over the next three years. Sheraton is owned by and is the largest and
most global brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., one
of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,169
properties in nearly 100 countries and 171,000 employees at its owned
and managed properties. Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator
and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following
internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®,
Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, and
Element®. The Company boasts one of the industry's leading loyalty
programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), allowing members to earn and
redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no
blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a
premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style
resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands. For more information,
please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood
Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and
leisure companies in the world with 1,169 properties in nearly 100
countries and 171,000 employees at its owned and managed properties.
Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels,
resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned
brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®,
Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, and ElementSM. The Company
boasts one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood
Preferred Guest (SPG), allowing members to earn and redeem points for
room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood
also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of
world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and
privileged access to Starwood brands. For more information, please visit
www.starwoodhotels.com.
Contacts
Press Contacts:
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Global Communications
Carrie Bloom
t +203 964-5755
Carrie.Bloom@starwoodhotels.com
Starwood Hotels and Resorts – Europe, Africa & Middle East
Jenni Benzaquen
t +32 2 204 5494
Jenni.Benzaquen@starwoodhotels.com
Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/9143/en
No comments:
Post a Comment