Starwood Hotels to open 5 more properties in India in 2016

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide today said it is planning to open five new properties in India in 2016 as part of its aggressive expansion of footprint in South Asia.
"Our growth continues to be fuelled by strong domestic demand for quality and branded accommodations in Tier 1 and Tier 2 markets. India is already Starwood's fourth largest market in terms of number of hotels and will soon be its third after the US and China.
"We are planning to open five new properties this year in India," Starwood Hotels & Resorts Managing Director India and Regional Vice President (South Asia) Dilip Puri said in a statement here.

The US-based hotel chain is planning to open W Retreat & Spa in Goa, Westin Pushkar Resort and Spa in Rajasthan, Westin Kolkata, Aloft in Goa and Aloft in Delhi Aerocity.
The momentum of 2015, Puri said, will continue in 2016 too, with the company planning to open 8 to 10 hotels in South Asia. Since January 2015, the company has opened nine hotels in the region and signed deals for 16 new ones.
Starwood has had tremendous success converting independent and branded hotels into its portfolio in 2015 and the strategy has significantly mitigated the development risks typically associated with the slow pace of development and regulatory issues here, Puri said.

The company recently surpassed its 50-mark hotel in the region. It currently operates 54 properties in South Asia with another 34 under development.