Starwood to manage New Westin Hotel in China

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Zhejiang Nine Dragons Development Co. Ltd have signed an agreement for Starwood to manage The Westin Zhejiang Resort at Nine Dragon Hill, China.

Scheduled to open in mid 2008, the hotel will be part of an integrated resort consisting of two 18-hole golf courses, marinas for private yachts, a waterfront retail complex and residential villas. The resort will feature 350 rooms, and close to 16,500 square feet of meeting space. The hotel facilities will also include three dining outlets, a health club and spa and an indoor swimming pool. Located on a 650 hectares beach front location at the Nine Dragon Hill site, the resort offers visitors a retreat from the rigors of travel, with its proximity to the mountains and sea, green pines, beautiful reefs and ancient temples.

The Westin Zhejiang Resort, Nine Dragon Hill will be the fifth Westin hotels in mainland China, joining The Westin Shanghai, The Westin Beijing – Financial Street, The Westin Guangzhou and The Westin Nanjing. The Westins in Beijing, Guangzhou and Nanjing are slated to open in 2006, 2007 and 2009 respectively.

“The location of this resort in the beautiful forest park of Nine Dragon Hill also reinforces Westin's new brand positioning around personal renewal by offering guests the services, products and amenities that allow them to relax, rejuvenate and restore during their stay,” said Miguel Ko, President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Asia-Pacific.

Nine Dragon Hill is well-known as a forest park as well as a holiday resort area for the residents living in the Yangtze River Delta Region. The Yangtze River Delta region is one of the strongest economic growth areas of China and the surrounding residential market is one of the largest in the world (approximately 37 million residents). There is a large expatriate population in the region that seeks weekend getaways, golf and vacation homes. Nine Dragon Hill is located within two hours’ drive from Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou, the latter two of which are located in the Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces. Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, together with the Shanghai municipality, have been experiencing some of the fastest economic growth in China, fueled by the large influx of foreign investment and strong export market for its products.

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