Stamford-based Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. recently announced the signing of an agreement with Grand Bay Hotel Co. Ltd., which is owned by Bangkok-based Apex Development Public Co. Ltd., to open the Sheraton Phuket Grand Bay Resort in January 2019 on Thailand”™s largest island.
Starwood currently operates five Sheraton hotels in Thailand, including Sheraton Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers; Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa; Sheraton Hua Hin Pranburi Villas; Sheraton Samui Resort; and Sheraton Pattaya Resort. The brand”™s development pipeline also includes Sheraton Phuket Kalim Beach Resort, which is slated to open in 2018.
Starwood said the addition supports its goal of adding 150 hotels in the next five years, an effort called Sheraton 2020.
In Thailand, Starwood operates a total 22 properties under eight of its brands, including St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Le Méridien, Aloft and Four Points by Sheraton.
“We look forward to partnering with Grand Bay Hotel Co., Ltd. to expand Starwood”™s robust footprint in Thailand,” said Rajit Sukumaran, senior vice president for acquisitions and development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “With its idyllic beaches and lush rainforests, Phuket draws an unwavering number of inbound and domestic travelers, making it a strategic market for Sheraton and further driving formidable growth for Starwood in Asia Pacific.”
The 200-room resort will include three dining venues, meeting and event space, a spa, a fully equipped fitness center and an outdoor swimming pool.
“We are delighted to partner with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and we are confident that our respective strengths will steer this project toward success, elevating the hospitality offerings in Phuket with the iconic and globally renowned Sheraton brand,” said Pongphan Sampawakoop, CEO of Grand Bay Hotel Co. Ltd.
The boards of directors of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. and Marriott International Inc., based in Bethesda, Md., in November unanimously approved a $12.2 billion deal the companies termed a definitive merger agreement under which they will create the world”™s largest hotel company.
