China Economic Review
Charting China’s changing economic terrain · Since 1990
Starwood opens its 1,000th hotel
April 1, 2010
Sheraton Qiandao Lake Resort represents Starwood’s ambitious expansion plan in the Chinese market. While Starwood currently has 54 hotels up and operating in China, it has another 70 hotels under development or construction in the country.
Matthew Avril, president of the hotel group for Starwood Hotels and Resorts, said, "We will have 100 hotels in China by the end of 2012 and double our footprint in China from the end of 2009 to the end of 2012."
Avril said China is not only the fastest developing market for Starwood in terms of growth, but also a very important market globally due to outbound travel excursions made by China’s growing middle class.
English People Daily Online reported that by 2012, China will become the second largest market for Starwood outside the United States.