In its continued demand to select only world class destinations, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. HOT today announced plans for a new W hotel in St. Petersburg, Russia. Scheduled to open in mid 2008, W St. Petersburg represents a rare development in the main historic area of this vibrant city. This is the first W to be announced in Eastern Europe and marks another important step in W Hotel's global expansion.
For the project, Starwood has entered into a management agreement with Real Estate Development LLC, which was founded by two of St. Petersburg's oldest industrial groups. Financing will be provided by Russia's largest bank - Sberbank. With exterior architecture that recalls St. Petersburg's history, and timeless yet contemporary interiors, the W St. Petersburg will be an exciting addition to the other five W hotels announced for the brand in the Europe, Africa & Middle East region: Barcelona, Athens, Istanbul, Dubai and Doha.
The W St. Petersburg is centrally located south of the Neva River in the historic centre of St. Petersburg, with many of the city's cathedrals, museums and palaces accessible by foot. The hotel will be located on Voznesensky Prospect, between St. Isaac's Square and the Admiralty, just a stone's throw from the lavish Winter Palace which houses the world famous Hermitage Museum. From their rooms, hotel guests will enjoy spectacular views of the landmark gold-domed St. Isaac's Cathedral.
Award-winning designers Antonio Citterio & Partners have been chosen to create a timeless yet contemporary environment that evolves the W brand to the richness of the city. As with the W brand's existing hotels, the W St. Petersburg will feature W's signature design elements, including the W Living Room, which is the heart of the hotel and creates a vibrant atmosphere for out of town guests as well as for the sophisticated local business and social community. In addition, the hotel will feature a restaurant and a rooftop bar with spectacular views of this historic city.
"St. Petersburg is a fascinating destination full of art, culture, history and romance," said Ross Klein, President of Starwood's Luxury Brand Group. "The ongoing regeneration of St. Petersburg combines the culture and history of Russia's past with the energy and style of the country's future, making this one of the most intriguing destinations in the world and a perfect fit for W."
"St. Petersburg aligns perfectly with W's rapidly expanding portfolio of landmark projects in our region, adding another great destination for our customer wherever and whenever they travel," said Roeland Vos, President of Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Europe, Africa & Middle East.
The W St. Petersburg will have approximately 135 rooms, including suites. Guests will indulge in the W signature beds with feather-top mattresses, 350 thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets and goose down comforters. They will also be treated to Whatever/Whenever service, the hotel's 24-hour concierge that can provide whatever guests want (from a pair of running shoes to private jet service), whenever they want it.
About W Hotels
W Hotels is a global lifestyle brand with 21 properties in the most vibrant cities around the world. Inspiring and indulging its guests with thoughtful, refreshing and stylish experiences, signature restaurants, bars and destination spas, W has become the fastest growing luxury hotel brand in the world. Each hotel offers a unique mix of innovative design, comfort and cultural influences from fashion to music to art and everything in between. W's first Retreat & Spa, W Maldives, opened in September of 2006 following a highly successful opening of the brand's first residential property, W Dallas Victory, in June of 2006. W Residences, offering the W lifestyle at home, have been announced for Austin, Las Vegas, Hollywood, South Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Philadelphia, Downtown Atlanta, and Hoboken. Internationally, W has announced plans for hotels in Vieques, Barcelona, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Santiago, Athens, Istanbul, Doha, Dubai-Festival City, Dubai-The Palm, and Koh Samui. For more information, visit www.whotels.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 approximately 850 properties in more than 95 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood(R) Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis(R), The Luxury Collection(R), Sheraton(R), Westin(R), Four Points(R) by Sheraton, W(R), Le Meridien and the recently announced Aloft(SM) and Element(sm) Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
(Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and involve risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made. These risks and uncertainties are presented in detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained or that results and events will not materially differ. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.) Contact Information: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Leila Siman, 914-640-2635 leila.siman@starwoodhotels.com or W Hotels Worldwide Jenni Benzaquen, Director of PR, 212-380-4011 jenni.benzaquen@whotels.com
Copyright 2007 BusinessWire
Source MSN Money
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