starwood hotels

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

Le Meridien San Francisco Sold

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The end of the year hotel buy up continues. Chesapeake Lodging Trust announced today that it is buying the 360-room Le Meridien San Francisco for $143 million, or approximately $397,000 per room. A press release states that the company intends to fund the acquisition with a $60 million term loan secured by the hotel that is expected to be funded at the closing of the acquisition, a $45 million borrowing under its revolving credit facility, and remaining proceeds from its recent equity offering. The deal should be wrapped up by the end of the year and the new owner plans to enter into an agreement with a subsidiary of HEI Hotels and Resorts, the hotel's current operator, to manage the hotel under its current franchise flag, so guests won't notice a thing. The recently renovated hotel is one of the top Starwood-branded hotels in San Francisco and the 29-story building has great views of the city and the San Francisco Bay. The hotel also includes Bar 333 & Bistro on the lobby floor and the Park Grill restaurant and lounge on the third floor.

Chesapeake Lodging Trust was started in 2009 and now owns four other hotel properties: the Hyatt Regency Boston, Hilton Checkers Los Angeles, Courtyard Anaheim at Disneyland Resort and Boston Marriott Newton.

Tags: chesapeake lodging trust, le meridien, le meridien san francisco, starwood hotels

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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Starwood Hotels Dole Out Free Internet To Their Best Customers

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Paying for the internet, especially at luxury hotels is one of our biggest pet peeves. One major hotel chain is making it easier for guests to get free in-room internet access. There's just one major hook, you have to be a loyal customer. Starting on March 1, Starwood will give platinum-level members of the Starwood Preferred Guest program free internet at any of Starwood's 940 hotels including Westin, Sheraton, W and St. Regis). To get the free internet you also can't book using Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz or other, similar sites.

USA Today's Hotel Check-In reports that when you get to your room and log in you may have to click yes and accept the charge but that it will be removed as long as you're a platinum-level member. Hilton already offers its gold and diamond members free, in-room Internet access as one of their hotel perks.Hyatt also offers free Internet to its diamond- and platinum-level members. It's a great step but we're still dreaming of the day when free luxury hotel internet is available without restrictions.

Tags: hotel wifi, hotel wireless, HotelWifi, HotelWireless, starwood hotels, StarwoodHotels, wireless

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 Resort at Singer Island

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Another resort is planned for the Florida resort community of Singer Island. The Resort at Singer Island will be an all-suite luxury resort that is part of the Starwood Hotels Luxury Collection. The oceanfront hotel has 239 one and two-bedroom suites and 66 residences. There is a formal pool with private cabanas as well as a grotto pool with a slide. The resort will also have a restaurant, rum lounge, spa, meeting space and an outdoor terrace with a wedding gazebo.Each room will measure 800 to 2,100 square feet and comes with a fully equipped kitchen, spacious marble bathroom, flat screen televisions, a Bose CD/DVD player and balconies to take in the views. The new hotel opens in December and they are now accepting reservations for February 2007 onwards.

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Tags: florida, singer island, SingerIsland, starwood hotels, travel