Starwood

Sheraton Opens New Hotel at Milan Malpensa Airport

Part of a global expansion plan to add over 50 new locations to its global portfolio over the next three years, Starwood Hotels has opened a new location at Milan's Malpensa Airport.

Adjacent to Terminal 1, 30 minutes away from downtown Milan and with views of the Italian alps, the Sheraton Milan Malpensa Airport Hotel and Conference Centre offers 433 guest rooms, 19 suites, 58 "club rooms" and a 200 square-meter members' lounge. It also has 2,000 square meters of meeting rooms, including a 1,000-person multi-function hall and 22 individual board rooms, as well as a 1,000 square-meter fitness center and spa (including an indoor swimming pool), plus the Monte Rosa Bar and Il Canneto for dining options.

The hotel is owned by Degennaro Group and was designed by King Roselli Architects and Saporiti Hotel Design.

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Tags: airport, airport hotel, degennaro, hotel, italian hotels, malpensa, milan, sheraton, starwood, starwood hotels

Starwood Sponsors First Skating Rink at Boston's Prudential Center

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports

Starwood Sponsors First Skating Rink at Boston's Prudential Center

Luxury hotel megabrand Starwood is sponsoring the first-ever ice rink at the Prudential Center in Boston, now open through the end of March. Starwood's Boston properties – Sheraton Boston Hotel, The Westin Copley Place, The Boston Park Plaza Hotel, W Boston, and The Westin Boston Waterfront – dedicated the rink to the Boston community in the hopes that Bostonians will take the time to connect with one another on the ice. "This rink speaks to our commitment to give back to the community that has been home to the Sheraton Boston for more than 45 years," notes Colleen Keating, Sheraton Boston's Marketing Manager. All opening day proceeds went to the Bruins Foundation. In celebration of the occasion, the Sheraton Boston (above) is offering two "Share the Ice" value stay packages:

Tags: Boston, hotel deals, ice skating, sports, Starwood, W hotels, Westin, winter sports

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Boston's Liberty Hotel Joins Luxury Collection

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The owners of the luxe Liberty Hotel in Boston, a National Historic Landmark built in 1851, have inked a deal to make it part of Starwood's Luxury Collection portfolio, its very first in Boston. Located in a historic former jail at the foot of Beacon Hill overlooking the Charles River, The Liberty Hotel is a 300-room "urban retreat infused with a distinctive personality that honors the building's rich history while imparting contemporary vibrancy." The building preserves the original structure's commanding 90-foot central rotunda, soaring ceilings, exposed-brick walls, and authentic portions of its historic jail cells. Three floors of balconies are restored prison catwalks, and the property includes a landscaped courtyard designed to be a hidden gem in the Beacon Hill neighborhood.

"We are proud to welcome The Liberty into our unique collection of hotels and resorts that celebrate distinctive heritage and authentic character," notes Paul James, Global Brand Leader, St. Regis and The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts. "With the building's rich storied past and mysterious character, The Liberty is destined to be a coveted destination for global travellers and an unparalleled way to discover Boston." The hotel is owned by a joint venture between HEI Hotels & Resorts (HEI), the nation's fastest growing private owner/operator of hotel real estate, and Cambridge, Mass.-based Carpenter & Company, Inc. The Liberty Hotel is anchored by several restaurants, CLINK, Alibi, Scampo, and the Liberty Bar. CLINK is designed with vestiges of original jails cells that create cozy nooks for an intimate dining experience.

Gallery: The Liberty Hotel, Boston

Tags: Beacon Hill, Boston, Liberty Hotel, Luxury Collection, luxury hotel, Paul James, St. Regis, Starwood

Four New W Hotels Set to Open Starting in December

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

File this under: You can never have too much of a good thing.

Four new W Hotels are debuting beginning this December. The new W's are in Austin, Texas; Taipei; Koh Samui Thailand; and a W Retreat and Spa in Bali. All are built-from-the-ground new facilities and all feature high-end resort-style amenities including cutting-edge restaurants and bars. Room rates vary by location and season, but are approximately $300 a night. The rollout plan begins in December and ends in February.

The W Austin, acknowledging the city's unofficial slogan of "Keep Austin Weird," captures the city's local flavor -- although hardly in a weird way. The 251-room hotel, with a rooftop pool and bar is surrounded by the city's hippest night spots and restaurants just steps from Sixth Street and the Warehouse District.

Tags: austin, bali, hotel opening, koh samui, new hotels, starwood, starwood hotels, tapei, w hotels

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W New York - Downtown Debuts Near Ground Zero

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Real Estate Developments, Architecture & Design

Starwood has just opened the doors of its newest property, the W New York – Downtown, featuring 58 floors of upscale urban luxury and signature comforts in New York City's rapidly revitalizing Financial District. The towering building also houses the new Residences at W New York - Downtown for those who want to make their stay more permanent. Poised for a prime view of the new Freedom Tower being constructed at Ground Zero, the hotel features architectural design elements by award-winning Gwathmey Siegel & Associates with interior design by GRAFT and a special "light shower sculpture" by UK light sculptor Bruce Munro. Hospitality offerings include BLT Bar & Grill and The Living Room Bar and Terrace with outdoor space (above). The hotel features 217 rooms including 16 studio suites, one WOW and two Extreme WOW suites. The Residences are comprised of 223 luxurious W-branded modern condominiums with access to the hotel's luxe amenities.

Tags: hotels, New York, New York City, Starwood, W Hotel, W Hotels, W New York - Downtown

EXCLUSIVE: St. Regis Hotels & Resorts Head Paul James' Ten Essential Luxuries

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Timepieces / Watches, Books, Men's Style, 10 Luxuries

Paul James is the Global Brand Leader for St. Regis Hotels & Resorts and The Luxury Collection, Starwood's two world-renowned, luxury hospitality brands. Under this role James is responsible for providing the overall strategic and creative direction for St. Regis, the legendary hotel brand committed to excellence and bespoke service at the best addresses in the world, and The Luxury Collection, a glittering ensemble of one-of-a-kind destinations and indigenous experiences designed for the global explorer. Over the last year, James has been instrumental in creating a long term strategy of meaningful growth for both St. Regis and The Luxury Collection brands in the world's most enviable destinations. Since taking on his current role, St. Regis and The Luxury Collection have successfully debuted properties in new markets including Atlanta, Indonesia, Mexico, Moscow, Peru, and Scotland. Over the next five years, James will oversee their continued expansion with the opening of properties in Abu Dhabi, Bermuda, Buenos Aires, Cairo, China, Japan, Jordan, Peru, and more.

James has more than 20 years experience in hospitality, serving most recently as Starwood's Regional Director of Sales & Marketing, NW Europe. In that role, he was in charge of the sales and marketing teams of 35 hotels in nine countries across seven brands, with revenues in excess of $1 billion. This fall, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts will continue its extraordinary global expansion by opening four world-class properties in Puerto Rico, Osaka, Bangkok and Lhasa, solidifying its position and the leader in luxury hospitality and doubling its footprint in just two years. This global growth will expand the brand's footprint to include the Caribbean with The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort in Puerto Rico, and continuing its growth in Asia with The St. Regis Osaka, The St. Regis Lhasa Resort and The St. Regis Bangkok. Offering the St. Regis' iconic bespoke services and amenities, unrivalled luxury and refined elegance, the spectacular new properties join the brand's distinguished portfolio of quintessential addresses around the world. In the gallery are images of James' essential luxuries; continued below you'll find his explanations about what makes them a must.

Gallery: Paul James' 10 Essential Luxuries

Tags: Bahia Beach, bespoke, Butler, Cole Haan, Dunhill, hotel, Maserati, polo, resorts, Savile Row, Smythson, St. Regis, St. Regis Bahia Beach, Starwood, stationery, The Luxury Collection

Continue reading “EXCLUSIVE: St. Regis Hotels & Resorts Head Paul James' Ten Essential Luxuries”

A Peek Inside the Historic Hotel Imperial, Vienna

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

It's a rare treat to stay in a hotel that looks and feels like a palace. Such is the case with Hotel Imperial in Vienna.

This historic property, now part of Starwood's The Luxury Collection, has been serving as host to dignitaries, queens and emperors since its doors opened in 1873. It was commissioned by the Duke of Württemberg for his wife, but, as the legend goes, she didn't like it (something about it not having a garden). Fortunately, the magnificent building was purchased by the enterprising Horace, Ritter von Landau, who wisely decided to turn it into a hotel. The breathtaking, expansive lobby on the ground floor originally served as stables for guests' horses, and in World War II, it was occupied by the Russians, who made it their headquarters until returning it in 1955. The staff famously hid 150 of the hotel's fabulous Persian rugs -- one by one -- in a Viennese bank to keep them safe during the occupation.

Hotel Imperial has naturally undergone several renovations; the most recent was a 10 million euro project in 2000 which converted the hotel's upper floors, once offices and servants' quarters, into additional rooms. The 138 guestrooms now feature flat screen televisions, electronic key access and beautiful amenities from fresh flowers in the unique living rooms to spacious marble bathrooms stocked with Bulgari products. It is the only hotel in all of Austria which offers butler service.

There are a number of reasons to stay at the Hotel Imperial, ranging from its excellent Ringstrassen location to the charm of each room being different, and the appeal of knowing that great composers premiering their work at the State Opera House down the street, as well as dukes, princesses, kings and presidents have slept, perhaps, in your very room. I'd tell you who, but one can really only name drop when the list isn't very long. I've got a Word document seven pages long in front of me, and the names are in small type.

If you don't have the opportunity to stay in Hotel Imperial, it is worth your time to visit the first-rate dining room for dinner, or even the ground floor cafe for lunch -- be sure and get a signature Imperial Torte and the Imperial Coffee Melange. Who knows, you may catch sight of an important visiting celebrity.

Gallery: A Peek Inside The Hotel Imperial, Vienna

My visit to Vienna was sponsored by the Vienna Tourist Board, but the opinions expressed in the article are 100% my own.

Tags: Austria, Hotel, Hotel Imperial, HotelImperial, starwood, the luxury collection, TheLuxuryCollection, Vienna

Starwood Sells Off St. Regis New York Retail Space

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

The Starwood sell off continues. Earlier this week it unloaded the Bliss spa brand to Steiner Leisure for $100 million. Now Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc has announced that it has sold 24,700 square feet of retail space in St. Regis New York hotel for $117 million. The brand plans to use the proceeds to pay down debt. Starwood sold the space to GFC Fifth Avenue LLC, an investment group led by the Chera family's Crown Acquisitions and is is part of an ongoing push to streamline and chip away at its debt. As Reuters reports in its most recently quarterly earnings report, Starwood reported $3.36 billion in long-term debt.

Tags: st regis new york, starwood, StRegisNewYork

Starwood Hotels Sell Off Bliss Spas

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

W Hotels and Bliss Spas have been an unshakable combination for Starwood Hotels. But after a tough year for the travel and tourism industry Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. has sold off the Bliss spa unit for $100 million to Steiner Leisure Limited. The Bliss and Remede brands will stay at the Starwood's W Hotels and St. Regis Hotels. Bloomberg News quotes Chief Executive Officer Frits Van Paasschen who said during a conference call in October that the company was looking at "assets that are non-core or that are so attractive that we can still get a good multiple."

The Bliss spa brand was founded in 1996 in New York City. The brand quickly grew and has become famous for its playful approach ot beauty and skin care treatments. The Bliss brand includes not just the Bliss and Remede spas but also branded products. Bliss products are also sold outside the spas through an e-commerce and catalog business and distribution in Sephora and many major department stores.

The brand is a natural fit for Steiner Leisure Limited which is a provider of spa services. The company operates spas and salons on 126 cruise ships and in 51 resort spas and two luxury day spas for brands that include Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Harrah's Entertainment, Hilton Hotels, Holland America Line, InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, Marriott Hotels and many others. Steiner Leisure also owns and operates five schools that offer degree and non-degree programs in massage therapy and,skin care, training spa professionals for health and beauty positions at Steiner spas and salons.

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Tags: bliss spas, BlissSpas, hotel spa, HotelSpa, remede, spas, st regis, starwood, starwood hotels, StarwoodHotels, steiner leisure, SteinerLeisure, StRegis, w hotels, WHotels

The Nines Hotel and The Question of Design Moxie

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Luxury Travel & Hotels

The night before I stayed at the Nines, in Portland, Oregon, I spent the night at the White House in Yakima, a bed and breakfast. It's actually a couple of bedrooms that are available to let on the second floor of the White House Café, which serves an amazingly delicious breakfast. But the rooms themselves weren't to my personal taste -- an exuberant bride/doily/doll meets shabby chic theme. I know that many people, particularly those who, say, enjoy weddings (I don't) would be charmed, but that's the chance you take when you stay at a B&B -- you are really immersed in a particular taste.

I've also had the experience of staying in a smaller hotel that was more to my taste, but my travel companion was non-plussed by it -- I'm thinking of Le Quartier Français in Franschoek, South Africa, where the Four Quarters suite is a cream and brown palette punched up with accents of bright hot orange and pink. I loved it, although I could see why it wouldn't be for everyone. Human variability in taste is why most hotels resort to the kind of utter blandness that has you calling the front desk in the morning to find out what city you're in.

So when I walked into the Nines -- a 331 room Starwood-owned hotel occupying the top floors of the former Meier & Frank department store in downtown Portland -- and one that's known for its distinctive interiors, I was really thinking about décor and what a challenge it is for a large hotel, to create rooms with some consistency that have a distinct yet relatively universally appealing personality.

Check out the photo gallery and let me know what you think, but I think the Nines manages to strike the right balance. The décor is described as "nostalgic modern", and the rooms are done out in rich brown, charcoal gray, creamy white and a Tiffany turquoise. There are a few fun frou-frou touches -- a beaded light fixture, for instance -- but nothing that should make a buttoned up business man feel uncomfortable (I assume, not being a business man or a man for that matter.) It also felt very Portland-elegant to me, if I were going to an affair in PDX, I'd hit a vintage shop over a department store. Beyond that, there's also a good sense of the local community, as the hotel commissioned some 400 original art pieces to display throughout the hotel, a library on the hotel's main level is stocked with a selection of books from Powell's, Portland's incredibly amazing book store, and Urban Farmer, the hotel's restaurant, works with local purveyors.

Gallery: The Nines in Portland

Tags: bed and breakfast, BedAndBreakfast, hotels, portland, portland oregon, PortlandOregon, southafrica, starwood

The Luxury Collection Introduces The Insider's View for Members of A Small World

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Luxury Collection, a clique of hotels within the Starwood Group, is collaborating with private social network A Small World (ASW) to provide The Insider's View. The Collection already offers concierge services to those who have booked stays and offers guests -- even those who haven't arrived yet -- travel perks such as Luggage Liaison and advance planning. The Collection also maintains a "Cultural Calendar" of noteworthy events happening near Collection properties.

For ASW members, though, concierges will write articles around upcoming events -- such as Greece's Night of the Full Moon and London's Cartier International Polo Day -- that provide an insider's guide on how to have the perfect time. ASW members, whether hotel guests or not, can then interact directly with Collection concierges to get even more specific tips on where to go and what to do.

So while you might not know the best place to buy the best seats for the Venice International Film Festival... at least you'll know who to ask.

[Source: The Luxury Collection]

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Tags: a small world, ASmallWorld, concierge, hotel, resort, starwood, the luxury collection, TheLuxuryCollection

Did Corporate Spying Doom Denizen Hotels?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

It looks like corporate espionage has sunk the fledgling Denizen Hotels brand. Hilton Hotel Corp. has announced that it has received a federal grand jury subpoena for documents regarding two former employees of Starwood hotels who switched camps and brought their trade secrets with them. Starwood has sued Hilton saying that Hilton used privileged information in the development of the Denizen brand. The employees, Ross Klein and Amar Lalvani have been placed on paid administrative leave pending review. The Denizen Hotel website is down and Hilton has announced that the development of the brand has been "temporarily suspended." Will the brand be resurrected after the case sorts itself out? My guess is that Hilton will rebrand the hotels as something else.

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Tags: denizen, denizen hotels, DenizenHotels, espionage, hilton, hotels, starwood

The Nines Opens In Portland

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

A new luxury hotel has opened in Portland, Oregon. The Nines is part of the Starwood Hotels Luxury Collection and is located in the historic Meier & Frank building which was built in several phases starting n 1909. The rooms are above the downtown Macy's and the project was announced back in 2006.

The 331-room Nines includes a 419-piece art collection, and rooms are decorated in turquoise and a rich espresso brown. Rooms have modern amenities like 42-inch high-definition televisions but also have green features such as dual-flush toilets. The hotel has a fitness center, club lounge and two dining and bar options including the Asian-inspired rooftop Departure restaurant and the Urban Farmer. The hotel represents a new level of luxury in a town where most hotel rooms are under $200 a night. Rooms start at $249 a night which The Oregonian reports is nearly twice the downtown average.

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Tags: oregon, portland, starwood, the nines

Palazzo Announces St. Regis Residences

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

The Palazzo Las Vegas officially opened earlier this year and now, like its neighbor The Wynn, it's expanding into resdiences. Las Vegas Sands has announced that the company has reached an agreement with Starwood Hotels to create The St. Regis Residences at the Venetian Palazzo,. The new project is a collection of 398 private luxury residences under construction between Las Vegas Sands' Palazzo and Venetian resorts on the Las Vegas Strip.

The residence will be available fully furnished with a choice of several different designer packages. They will range in size from 1,700 to over 10,000 square feet for a duplex villa with private pool. Prices on individual units haven't been released yet but the press release says that total sales for all units could reach as much as $2 billion which would put the average price at over $5 million. The St. Regis Residences are expected to open in March 2010. They will begin accepting VIP reservations this month and open a preview gallery in October.

Gallery: Las Vegas Projects

Tags: condos, las vegas, palazzo, residences, st regis, starwood

The Grand Mauritian, Opening July 1

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Services, Spas, Yachts & Sailing

The Grand Mauritian, a Luxury Collection resort and spa from Starwood Hotels & Resorts, "invites you to experience the magic of Mauritian hospitality in a truly luxurious setting." (I accept!) Located on the northwest coast of the island of Mauritius on Turtle Bay, on the Indian Ocean, the resort is set to open on July 1 and is the the Luxury Collection's first foray into the Indian Ocean and Africa.

The resort will offer 193 guest rooms and suites, all of which offer ocean views (some have private terraces and tropical outdoor showers); a kids' club; a 1,500 sqm Mandara spa with 11 treatment rooms; and a selection of upscale restaurants and bars. Spread over 10 hectares, the resort is bordered by the reef and ocean nature park on the coast with sugar cane fields behind. You'll find water sports and diving in the two swimming pools and on the natural sandy beach.

For business travelers, the resort has plug-and-play high-speed Internet access in the guest rooms; wireless high-speed Internet access in public areas; a business center; and venues for conferences, meetings and social events.

Check rates and availability here.

Gallery: The Grand Mauritian, Opeining July 1