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.
