New | W Hotels to speed expansion in mainland China
Starwood's W brand to open 12 hotels in China in years to 2019
W Hotels, a brand of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, will speed its expansion in China in the next five years to capture the country's rising love for fashion and entertainment as well as its surging number of outbound travellers, senior executives said.
The boutique brand just opened a hotel in Beijing's Changan Avenue, overlooking the inner area of the ancient capital. It has 12 more coming up by 2019, adding to its presence in Hong Kong and Guangzhou.
"The Chinese market is of huge importance to the W brand," Sarah Doyle, global branding director of W Hotels Worldwide, told reporters in Beijing.
The mainland exceeded the United States to become the world's largest source of outbound travellers last year, with the number hitting 117 million, and this is expected to grow 17 per cent this year.
China is the second-biggest market for Starwood Hotels and Resorts, which also owns other high-end brands such as Sheraton, Westin and St Regis. The group is under pressure to penetrate faster into new and existing markets against rivals including Hilton Worldwide Holdings and Marriott International. Its former chief executive, Frits van Paasschen, resigned abruptly in February amid slow growth.
Arnaud Champenois, senior branding director Asia-Pacific for W Hotels, said the brand would grow particularly fast in Asia and Europe, opening in China's Shanghai and Changsha next year and making its first foray to India. It will also open later this year in Amsterdam.