The Luxury Collection Inks Deals For First Hotels In China

Starwood Hotels and Resorts' The Luxury Collection brand has signed two deals to open the brand's first hotels in China.

The iconic Astor Hotel in Tianjin is scheduled to open as a Luxury Collection Hotel in May 2010 after a UDS22 million renovation. And The Malus Sanya, a Luxury Collection Resort, is a new-build resort set to open in late 2012.

According to Simon Turner, the president for global development with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, by working with the right partners on the right properties in the right places, The Luxury Collection has enjoyed steady and strategic international growth in key markets like China even in challenging times. Turner pointed out that in addition to new-build properties, Starwood is attracting a growing number of owners and developers who seek to rebrand existing properties as Luxury Collection hotels, thus maintaining their independence while tapping into Starwood sales and marketing network.

The Astor Hotel first opened in 1863 and is classified as a National Important Historical Relics Protection Unit by the Chinese Government. The 152-room property offers approximately 1,000 square meters of meeting space, five restaurants and bars, an indoor swimming pool, and fitness and business centers.

Scheduled to open in the autumn of 2012, The Malus Sanya is part of the integrated Haitang Bay Beach Resort district spreading over a site area of 150 square kilometers with 40 kilometers of beachfront. The resort will boast 160 guestrooms and villas, approximately 300 square meters of meeting space; two signature restaurants and bars; a 24-hour business center; a health club and fitness center; signature spa; an outdoor swimming pool; tennis courts; and specialty shopping. It will share a recreational centre with the newly opened Sheraton Sanya Haitang Bay Resort.