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| The Westin Changbaishan Resort |
Being showcased at Starwood's booth (B10 in Hall 4) at IT&CM China, which takes place from 17 to 19 April 2013, are new hotels such as the recently opened W Guangzhou - the first W-branded hotel in China, the architecturally stunning and iconic Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort, and the largest hotel in Starwood's portfolio - Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central.
"We are excited to be returning to IT&CM China after a 4-year hiatus," said Wendy Huang, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Greater China, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. "China is Starwood's second largest market outside of the US, and our commitment to China is growing ever stronger, from our senior leadership team relocation to China in 2011 to the launch of the Starwood Preferred Guest Chinese iPhone App. Our participation is a strong indication of our commitment to travel trade partners and we look forward to providing the latest updates of our growing portfolio as well as the latest offers."
China has the highest number of Starwood brands in Asia with eight of the company's nine brands present, including Sheraton, St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Le Méridien, Four Points by Sheraton and Aloft. These are spread across 119 hotels and resorts in first, second and third tier cities. Having so many brands, each catering to different requirements, gives Starwood the ability to accommodate events of all sizes and needs. Its pipeline of another 105 hotels and resorts will further entrench Starwood's position as the largest and leading venue and hospitality provider in China.
Strong MICE offerings in key destinations
As the largest hotel in Macau - and largest in Starwood's entire global portfolio - the 3,896-room Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central boasts 15,000 sqm of meeting space. Its spectacular pillar-less Kashgar Grand Ballroom, which is the size of more than 11 basketball courts, and six other Junior Ballrooms can easily accommodate over 5,000 delegates. The integrated resort is a true destination within a destination, with over 90 retail outlets, a wide selection of international dining options as well as diverse flow of live entertainment. Its three tropical pool decks extending over 12,000 sqm are also perfect locations for evening cocktail receptions or casual corporate get-togethers.
With the opening of Twelve at Hengshan, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Shanghai and Sheraton Shanghai Waigaoqiao Hotel, Starwood now operates 11 hotels in Shanghai, offering over 4,500 rooms and 20,750 sqm of meeting space - the largest measuring 1,770 sqm. This makes Shanghai the biggest market for Starwood in Greater China. The other nine hotels are Sheraton Shanghai Pudong, Sheraton Shanghai Hongkou, Sheraton Shanghai Hongqiao, The Westin Bund Center Shanghai, Le Royal Meridien Shanghai, Le Meridien Sheshan Shanghai, Four Points by Sheraton Shanghai Daning, Four Points by Sheraton Shanghai Pudong and The Hongta Hotel, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Shanghai.
As the largest luxury and upper-upscale international resort operator in Hainan, Starwood offers nine properties and over 16,400 sqm of meeting space including the recently opened The Royal Begonia, A Luxury Collection Resort, Sanya and Four Points by Sheraton Sanya. Five more properties are scheduled to open by 2015 including the first Westin-branded hotels in Hainan - The Westin Haikou and The Westin Sanya Haitang Bay Resort, which will open this year. MICE planners can explore each Starwood resort on the island and its individual meeting facilities that are inspired by the local environs.
More choices, new destinations
Sought-after new destinations also include the spectacular Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort, a magnificent ring-shaped structure symbolising "Everlasting Happiness!" located beside Taihu Lake in northern Zhejiang Province with approximate a two-hour drive by expressway from Shanghai. The hotel offers more than 2,200 sqm of flexible indoor space including a pillar-less Grand Ballroom and 14 other meeting rooms, which can accommodate 14 to 700 guests. The soon-to-be-launched 300 sqm multi-purpose Taihu Room will be located on top of hotel offering breathtaking views of the lake. With a vast spa, extensive meeting and banquet venues, fabulous restaurants, team building programmes and even a "wedding island" as a spectacular outdoor venue, this five-star resort is expected to take its place as a top choice among MICE planners.
Adjacent to the slopes of the Changbai Mountains, one of China's leading ski areas and famed resort destinations, the openings of The Westin Changbaishan Resort and Sheraton Changbaishan Resort last July marked the debut of Starwood's first ski resorts in Asia Pacific. Bordering Russia and North Korea in Jilin Province, Changbaishan houses a UNESCO-designated nature reserve that covers an area of over 494,000 acres. A unique highlight is Tianchi (or "Heavenly Lake"), a vast elevated crater lake that forms the source of three rivers.
Together, the Westin and Sheraton resort complex offers more than 3,437 sqm of state-of-the-art function and meeting space, including a 1,242 sqm ballroom, nine smaller meeting rooms, and a spacious pre-function area. Six innovative food and beverage venues, along with a professional catering and meeting team, are capable of organizing functions for all types of occasions.
The property is close to pristine natural surroundings and easily accessible from Changbaishan Airport via the Yingfu Expressway. The complex is also next to the biggest ski field in Asia featuring 43 ski lanes and cable cover of up to 7.1 kilometers, accommodating 8,000 skiers.
Launch of a new brand in China
The W brand made its debut with the opening of W Guangzhou, introducing China to a new style of modern luxury set amidst cutting-edge design and Whatever/Whenever service. W Guangzhou marks the start of a rapid Asian expansion for the W brand, which has plans to more than double its current footprint of nine hotels to nearly 20 over the next five years.
Setting a new scene for events and meetings in Guangzhou, W Guangzhou features more than 1,000 square meters of event space and studios. The Great Room, W Hotels' version of the ball room, offers 638 square meters of event space that can welcome up to 900 trendsetters and jetsetters in one occasion.
Ms Huang said, "All these hotels are on show at IT&CM China and we look forward to sharing more details about their MICE facilities, services and unique selling points to all delegates at the show."
For more information, visit www.starwoodmeetings.com
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