Starwood hosts its top 100 Global Executives in Dubai

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Category: Hotel

Created on Thursday, 10 May 2012 16:28

Starwood is the leading luxury hotel operator in the Middle East with an 
existing portfolio of nearly 50 hotels in 11 countries under eight of 
Starwood's nine brands. The company is increasing its long-established 
lead here with another 30 hotels in the pipeline. This growth, primarily 
in the luxury and upper-upscale segments, represents an increase of more 
than 50% over the next five years. In the emirate of Dubai, Starwood 
currently operates 15 hotels, which is the largest concentration of 
Starwood hotels in any single city outside New York. The company has 
announced plans to unveil another five new hotels in Dubai by 2017, 
including the debuts of the W and St. Regis brands in the emirate.

"With hotels in 100 countries and 80% of our future pipeline outside of 
North America, Starwood is the world's most global high-end hotel 
company, perfectly positioned to capitalize on an ever growing global 
marketplace," said Starwood President and CEO, Frits van Paasschen. 
"Dubai is emblematic of how globalization is creating new travel 
patterns and travel hubs, and serves as a crossroad between the emerging 
and developed worlds."

Starwood Relocates Global Headquarters to Dubai
In 2013, Starwood will temporarily relocate its Senior Leadership Team 
from the company's U.S.-based headquarters to the Middle East for a 
month-long managerial endeavor. During the relocation, Starwood 
President & CEO Frits van Paasschen and more than a dozen of the 
company's top executives will be headquartered in Dubai where they will 
conduct day-to-day business on an eight-hour time difference with their 
"usual" home office in Stamford, Connecticut.

During what van Paasschen describes as "an unconventional effort to 
understand, appreciate and ultimately leverage different cultural 
perspectives and approaches to business," Starwood's team will delve 
into the company's extensive operations throughout the Middle East, 
meeting with regional customers, partners, developers and owners, while 
also touring new properties throughout the region.

Building upon the success of Starwood's 2011 headquarters relocation to 
China, the company has selected the UAE because of its significant 
footprint, pipeline and growth potential, plus the region's popularity 
as a business and leisure travel destination as well as its growing 
importance as an outbound travel market.

"Our brands resonate well with Middle Eastern guests and the fact that 
our brands reflect the various lifestyle aspirations of our guests 
allows us to further penetrate this market," continued van Paasschen. 
"This is only possible because we have long standing teams in place who 
have a deep understanding of the Middle East's complex dynamics and 
strong relationships with some of the region's most influential 
investors."