Starwood signs Three New Westin Hotels in India

Starwood Hotels & Resorts is to manage three new Westin hotels in three of the fastest growing markets in India. In Hyderabad, the biotechnology hub of India, Westin will open The Westin Hyderabad, Mindspace. The second new addition - The Westin Pune, Koregaon Park - will be in Pune, an emerging destination for banking and financial services. The third hotel - The Westin Kolkata, Rajarhat - will be in Kolkata, the commercial and trading hub of India. The Westin hotels in Hyderabad and Pune are scheduled to open in 2009, while The Westin Kolkata, Rajarhat will open in 2010.

India is one of the fastest growing markets in Asia Pacific for international tourist and corporate spending. Westin is well positioned to serve the growing numbers of visitors to India, with three previously announced hotel developments across the country, including hotels in Gurgaon, Sohna and Bangalore.

"Westin is truly at the forefront of hotel development in the world's most exciting markets, and these new hotels in India represent a unique opportunity for the brand to gain a greater foothold in a country experiencing remarkable economic growth," said Sue Brush, Senior Vice President, Westin Hotels & Resorts.

The Westin Hyderabad, Mindspace will help refresh guests during their stay in the energetic city of Hyderabad, the sixth largest city in India. In the last five years, Hyderabad has emerged as the country's leader in bio-technology and life sciences. It is also a bustling center of economic, cultural and commercial activity and a key center for software development and information technology research.

Featuring 428 rooms, the new Westin will be located near the emerging central business district of Cyderabad-Madhapur, with convenient access to HITEC, India's most modern venue for exhibitions, conferences and trade shows. The combined hotel and residences will also be just a short ride from the new international airport, expected to open in early 2008.

The new property will be the cornerstone of The Mindspace Cyberabad Project, a mixed-use development which will also contain offices and a 700,000 square-foot mega mall and multiplex. In addition to the Westin brand's full menu of signature services, the hotel will boast four restaurants and bars, 12,000 square feet of meeting and function space, Heavenly Spa by Westin and a business center.

Located in the cultural capital of Maharashtra state, The Westin Pune, Koregaon Park will serve the growing number of travelers to a city that is quickly establishing itself as a convention destination and leading center for financial services. A popular site for state-of-the-art information technology campuses, Pune is just a 20 minute flight from the financial capital of Mumbai and a two hour flight from the national capital, New Delhi.

The Westin Pune, Koregaon Park will feature 277 guest rooms, including 31 suites, four restaurants and bars, more than 12,000 square feet of meeting and function space, and a business center. At the hotel, guests can indulge in the Westin brand's full array of refreshing signature amenities including the Heavenly Bed, Heavenly Spa by Westin and sensory welcome - all designed to help guests leave the hotel feeling better than when they arrived.

The new hotel will be part of a mixed-use development project spread over eight acres, offering more than 140,000 square feet of office space in addition to the hotel. The project will be situated close to the center of Pune in Koregaon Park, with convenient access to the airport and numerous high-end commercial and residential developments. In addition to developing a mass transit system, Pune is actively working to attract more business and investment by building a 16 million square feet space to accommodate further growth in its IT sector and house additional convention facilities.

Located in a prime spot in Rajarhat, the new central business district of Kolkata city, The Westin Kolkata, Rajarhat will help renew visitors to this dynamic city. Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal and the regional hub for companies operating in the northeastern region of India. The hotel will be a key part of an eight-acre, mixed-use development consisting of hotel, offices, residences and retail shops. The Westin hotel will be housed in a tower that will soar more than 1,000 feet into the sky, giving the new development a high degree of visibility.

The new Westin will offer 323 guestrooms, including 31 suites, as well as five restaurants and bars, more than 21,000 square feet of meeting space, Heavenly Spa by Westin, an outdoor swimming pool, WestinWORKOUT gym and business center.

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