Starwood Launches Major Expansion of Aloft, Four Points Brands in India

April 9, 2010
By Allison Landa, News Editor

Having closed on two funds totaling $2.8 billion earlier this month, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is taking its full pockets on a passage to India.

Starwood is pumping up the volume on its Aloft Hotels brand as well as its Four Points by Sheraton hotels in an endeavor to push its mid-market envelope in India. By 2012, Aloft expects to operate six hotels in India, with properties in Chennai, Bengaluru and Singanallur slated to debut this year. In 2011, the expansion will continue with openings in Ahmedabad and Zirakpur as well as a second Bangalore hotel.

The Aloft brand is geared toward stylish lovers of the boutique-hotel concept in much the same vein as the W hotels. Currently there are 40 Aloft hotels worldwide, with 10 scheduled to open this year.

The Four Points by Sheraton brand debuted in India in 2009 with openings in Mumbai, Vashi, and Jaipur City Square, with more to come in the future. Sheraton opened its first Mumbai hotel in 1973; since that time the company has grown the portfolio to 26 hotels under its Westin, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, The Luxury Collection and Le Méridien brands. The company says it is on track to grow that portfolio by 60 percent in the next two years. There are 147 Four Points properties in 24 countries.

Between Four Points and Aloft, Starwood estimates that it will add thousands of jobs to India’s tourism infrastructure as well as 4,000 jobs to the Indian economy.

Starwood has 1,000 properties in nearly 100 countries and territories with 145,000 employees.