Starwood Preferred Guest - Sheraton Xiamen, China [Master Thread]

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040624/245116_1.html

Press Release Source: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc

Starwood Continues Rapid Expansion in China with Announcement of Sheraton Xiamen Hotel
Thursday June 24, 9:00 am ET
Sheraton Xiamen will be Starwood's 23rd Property in China and Xiamen's First Five-Star Hotel

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 24, 2004-- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc (NYSE: HOT - News) and Xiamen Fuchun Orient Hotel Company Limited announced an agreement for Starwood to manage the Sheraton Xiamen Hotel in China. The newly built 348-room Sheraton Xiamen Hotel is scheduled to open in June 2005 and will be the city's first five-star hotel. With the opening of the Sheraton Xiamen, Starwood will have the largest inventory of upscale hotels in China, bringing the total number of properties to 23, more than any other international hotel company.

"China has much to offer to the business, leisure, conference and incentive travelers, whether it be fascinating destinations, rich history and culture, business and conference facilities or world class hotels," said Miguel Ko, President, Asia-Pacific, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. "They can select from a range of fine Starwood properties in the capital city of Beijing, bustling metropolis of Shanghai, resort haven of Sanya on Hainan Island, and numerous cultural and business destinations throughout the country."

Starwood has expanded its portfolio in China significantly over the last year with the opening of Sheraton hotels in Sanya on Hainan Island, and in Dongguan in the Guangdong province. Starwood also recently signed for the development of two new hotels in Shenzhen and one in Ningbo.

Xiamen is one of China's most vibrant cities with many thriving industries, primarily in international trade, education, science and tourism. Located on the southeastern coast of Fujian province in China, Xiamen is a beautiful seaport city that boasts a long and colorful history dating back 3,000 years. The city offers extensive and varied sightseeing experiences - from thousand year-old Buddhist temples to fortresses. It is the cultural and academic center of Fujian Province, with a rich 19th-century European flavor in its architecture. It is also one of the most tastefully renovated cities in China, giving it the feel of a holiday resort.

The Sheraton Xiamen Hotel will be located in Jiantou District and is within walking distance to Xiamen's largest retail mall. Jiantou is designated as the new commercial and business district of Xiamen city. The hotel is part of a multi-purpose complex that houses the hotel in one tower and condominiums and a retail podium in the next. The hotel will feature 348 rooms, including 40 suites, and approximately 10,000 square feet of meeting and function space. The hotel facilities will also include four dining outlets, sports and recreational facilities, a health club and spa, an indoor swimming pool and retail center.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 740 properties in more than 80 countries and 110,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. With internationally renowned brands, Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts including: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton and W brands, as well as Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For further information, please visit www.starwood.com.

* Please contact Starwood's new toll-free media hotline at (866) 4-STAR-PR (866-478-2777) for photography or additional information**
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Contact:

Media Contact:
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
Mark Ricci, Manager, 914-640-8496
mark.ricci@starwoodhotels.com
or
For additional information, please contact:
Hwee Peng Yeo, (65) 6335 4837
Fax: (65) 6335 4820
hweepeng.yeo@starwoodhotels.com


Source: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Has anyone stayed at the new Sheraton in Xiamen (China)? I am looking for general bed comfort, any info on suites, and hotel ameneties. Thanks, in advance.

hi, the hotel is too new~~ I think it should be up to SPG standard, but I ' ve never stayed there.

Crowne Plaza provides very good service, sheraton should do better in order to compete with CP because they are the only two major international chains in the town.



Has anyone stayed at the new Sheraton in Xiamen (China)? I am looking for general bed comfort, any info on suites, and hotel ameneties. Thanks, in advance.

Sheraton certainly is a shiny gold building - I haven't found anyone who likes its external appearance. I've never even been inside. So far, I have stayed at the Mandarin (it's NOT a Mandarin Oriental), Marco Polo, Sofitel, and Best Western (a bit different than your standard roadside BW) in Xiamen and I have settled on the Sofitel as being best.

I'd appreciate it if anyone could make a comparison between the new Sheraton and the Sofitel.

-Skillet

I've been staying at the Crowne Plaza the last two years and love the service, I just don't love the bed. The Sheraton was open, barely, on my last stay but I opted to stay at the CP again because it appeared hardly anything was open (other than the rooms and front desk). I read on the site that the pool and fitness facility is still not open, though they have a makeshift fitness room open.

The building is indeed, um, gold and does stand out. I may stay a night just to check it out and will post afterward.

Thanks!

For those of you going to Xiamen China I just stayed at the Sheraton here.

The service is excellent.
The hotel is brand new and the rooms are very very nice.
The breafast is extraordinary.

The hotel is in a soft launch stage so swimming pool and fitness along with excutive lounge not opened as of yet so I can't comment.

The hotel is a 20 minute taxi trip to ocean side but it is only a few minutes walk to the new Walmart Plaza. Many in Xiamen.

Cheers

Thanks for the update! I did go and check it out a few days ago and had a delicious lunch there. The hotel is beautiful. Glad to hear the service is good as well. I'm planning on staying there on my next trip in a couple of months when the hotel should have the executive lounge open.

I opted not to stay there last week since everything was not fully functional but look forward to the stay there and the bed - I can't take the Xiamen Crowne Plaza beds anymore - even when they add a topper to it.

Just checked into this property, booked two rooms - one with 4,000 pts and the other for RMB778++, we got upgraded to suites for both rooms!!!

Executive club very nice, staff very friendly - almost over the top, suites amazing includes dvd player plazma tvs, huge bathroom with rainshower, huge wardrobe etc, sep guest toilet, however, airconditioning very noisy though, we had to turn it off and leave it going ion the other room.

Just to update, I stayed there last week.
Good service, nice rooms, Platinum upgrade to 2 room suite plus access to
Club Lounge with very nice breakfast and evening cocktails.

I got the impression that not too many Plats stay there - many staff were very
impressed by that status - several commented on it, and one employee actually
asked my wife how I got that level!

Was there with my wife and son a few weeks ago. Similar upgrade and excellent service in the lounge.

Just to update, I stayed there last week.
Good service, nice rooms, Platinum upgrade to 2 room suite plus access to
Club Lounge with very nice breakfast and evening cocktails.

I got the impression that not too many Plats stay there - many staff were very
impressed by that status - several commented on it, and one employee actually
asked my wife how I got that level!

I just finished my stay there yesterday (I stay a few times a year). We had a few issues; where in the past everything has been pretty flawless. Still a good stay and overall a great property. It's not plat heavy, but I've stayed there a few times when there are other plats there. I've never had an issue finding a table in the lounge, but it's not empty either.