STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS is to open at least 12 new Westin-branded properties this year - in Canada, China, Greece, Japan, India, Mexico and the US - as the company looks to extend Westin's global reach.
"The Westin brand is at a pivotal point in its life cycle, with an unprecedented opportunity for international growth," says Nancy London, Westin's vice-president.
"Today, 111 of our 163 existing hotels are in North America, but we will see a seismic shift in this number with 70 per cent of the pipeline located outside the US in markets throughout Asia and the Middle East."