Starwood to Add 150 New Spas to Existing Portfolio of More than 300

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At the International Spa Association annual conference and expo, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced it plans to expand its portfolio of hotel spas by more than 50 percent in the coming year. More than 150 new spas are planned or are in development at Starwood, which currently features more than 300 hotel spas across iconic hospitality brands, including W, St. Regis, Le Meridien, Westin, and Sheraton.As the largest operator of upper-upscale and luxury brands in the world, Starwood continues to be committed to bringing branded, lifestyle experiences – including spas – to market.

“We’re answering the demand for spa with a portfolio of five in-house spa brands and strategic partnerships that continue to enhance the guest experience at our hotels,” said Mia Kyricos, Director of Global Spa Brands and Programming for Starwood. “Our growing spa pipeline is good for guests, as they increasingly expect us to help them stay well while traveling. And it’s good for Starwood and our development partners, since we know spa gives us the opportunity to positively impact rate, occupancy and average spend per guest.”

Starwood will ramp up its branded spa concepts dramatically this year with Sheraton, St. Regis, and Le Meridien to debut their own exclusive in-house spa brands, each inspired by the individual hotel brands to provide an integrated lifestyle experience.

“Approximately 75 percent of the properties in Starwood’s growth pipeline include spas in their plans,” said Jeremy McCarthy, Starwood’s Director of Global Spa Development and Operations. “And about 45 percent of our existing portfolio of more than 1,000 hotels offers spas and related services.”

Moving forward, Starwood’s spa brands will include:

• Shine Spa for Sheraton, Starwood’s fastest growing spa brand, designed to help guests “find their glow,” made its debut at the Sheraton Full Moon Resort & Spa in the Maldives in 2009, followed by The Sheraton Bratislava in Slovakia and The Sheraton Nha Trang in Vietnam earlier this year. More than 15 Shine Spas for Sheraton are expected to be open by the end of 2011.

• Iridium Spa, Starwood’s newest spa brand designed exclusively for St. Regis, will debut at The St. Regis Lhasa Resort in Tibet in December as “the world’s highest luxury resort spa” with others to follow in 2011. The Iridium name has a history originating in the 1930s at The St. Regis New York, and today represents one of the world’s rarest and most precious elements.

• Explore Spa by Le Meridien, which intends to introduce a new perspective on spa at Le Meridien hotels, will debut early next year at Le Meridien Oran in Algeria and Le Meridien Pyramids in Egypt, with other conversions and new builds in development.

• Heavenly Spa by Westin, where guests can enjoy an uplifting, sensory experience inspired by the success of the Heavenly Bed and Bath brands, plans to double its 20 existing locations around the world to 40 in the next two years.

• Away Spa by W Hotels, where W guests can detox from a long, playful night out and refuel for whatever comes next, will grow from five to 15 spas in the next few years.

Additionally, Starwood continues its strategic partnership with Steiner Leisure which now owns the famed Bliss and Remede Spa brands and amenity lines that remain exclusive to Starwood’s W and St. Regis hotel brands respectively. The relationship also continues to grow with 17 Bliss Spas and 10 Remede spas already operating at Starwood hotels, and several more in development.

“Like pools in the 1980s and fitness centers in the 1990s, the increased presence of spas at hotels has been fueled by both demand and the perceived quality of hotels with spa facilities,” Kyricos said. “Spas are no longer considered an amenity; guests expect them. And they’re no longer viewed as an indulgence, but an essential part of the balance and wellness guests seek while on the road.”

SOURCE: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Daniel Fountain / 04.12.2010

Editor, Hotel Designs

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Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.