Starwood Reveals Expansion Plans, Fashion Appointment

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced plans to open 50 new hotels in its Europe, Africa and Middle East unit by 2012. The firm just opened the Sheraton Bratislava Hotel and is on track to add 13 more this year. The plans will build upon the existing 240 hotels in 55 nations in EAME. Following [...]

Starwood In The East W Enters Hong Kong What:Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide continues its Far East expansion with the opening of its first W in Hong Kong

The Dirt: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide , possibly one of the most innovative hospitality groups in the world, has entered one of the most popular Asian financial cities with the opening of the W Hong Kong. Along with Singapore, Hong Kong is a popular financial center in the Far East, partially thanks to the [...]

Hipster Hotels For Budget TravelersLuxury For Professional NewbiesWhat: Hoteliers are adding new brands to attract 20-somethings, offering a boutique-like environment at the cost of the average respectable chain hotel.

The Dirt:Imagine being able to stay at a hotel like the W without breaking the bank? Now imagine that wherever you go, no matter how boring, you get the option to stay at a hip hotel with other like-minded, displaced yuppies. That’s the void Starwood Hotels & Resorts is aiming to fill with one of [...]

More Luxury Digs For DallasStarwood’s Luxury Collection Opens A New Hotel In Dallas Starwood has opened a luxury property in Texas with a design that melds regional influences and class luxury features.

The Dirt:To residents of California and New York, there is rarely something in the middle of the country worth seeing. Perhaps the occasional visit to Las Vegas, Chicago and now the hipster music capital of the south, Austin, but that was it. Now, Americans in search of hot weather climates and good shopping and dining [...]

Like Home, But More Hip Budget Luxe For Eco AddictsWhat: This small chain is eco-friendly, downtown hip and accommodates allergy-prone travelers.

The Dirt:The notion of an affordable luxury hotel started with the W Hotel brand and has ballooned into a sector that allows the average consumer to travel in style, a day in the life of a glitterati, if you will. However this time around, as Starwood continues to expand with aloft and Westin’s element, it [...]

Native-Inspired Spa Treatments

Since the millennium, the beauty industry has begun to embrace “ethnic” inspired treatments and spa themes, starting with East Asian- and Indian-inspired treatments and moving on to Moroccan Hammams. Native American-inspired spas and treatments are growing in popularity, often at resorts, with the sweat lodge as the most popular attraction. While the sweat lodge is [...]

If You Build It, They Will ComeA Middle Eastern Budget Travel Sector EmergesWhat: Catering to a wider audience, local airlines create budget brands while Western hotel companies bring their budget lines to the Middle East.

The Dirt: In the classis paradox, the region banking off rising oil prices is the future home of a number of budget airline and hotel brands. So, while hoteliers and airlines create luxury for the masses in the U.S., the same companies are creating travel options for those craving a visit to the Middle East [...]

European Hotelier Looks To Middle East

China is all over the news between politics and the development craze inspired by the upcoming Olympic games. However, institutional investors know that in addition to China and India, the last haven for emerging markets investments lays in the region abbreviated as MENA—the Middle East and North Africa. Enter Kempinski Hotels. They are certainly not [...]