Starwood to launch Westin brand in South America and other international hotel news

Starwood to launch Westin brand in South AmericaStarwood is to launch its Westin Hotels & Resorts brand in South America with the opening of its first property in Lima, the capital city of Peru. The new-build Westin Libertador Lima will be located in the city's financial district. Scheduled to open in early 2010, it will include 311 guestrooms, more than 30,000sq ft of meeting space, a lobby bar and two restaurants. The hotel will be Starwood's second hotel in Lima, after the Sheraton Lima Hotel & Convention Centre.

Accor plans Russian expansion French hotel group Accor plans to expand its presence in Russia over the next four to six years. The company announced plans to open between 20 and 30 hotels in the country following the launch of its Ibis hotel in St Petersburg, which opened in conjunction with the Russian group Kesko. Accor said that it is looking to open 10 hotels with Kesko, as well as two with Interros and one with Aeroflot Russian Airlines. The group's expansion in Russia will also see the addition of a Pullman outlet in 2010 and a Sofitel in Moscow.

Marriott to enter MaldivesMarriott is to launch its first property in the Maldives with the opening of Renaissance Maldives Gaakoshibee Resort & Spa on Gaakoshibee island on the Shaviyani Atoll in 2009. The 100-villa property will open under a management agreement with ADK Travels Private and include a wide range of restaurant choices, recreational amenities, a gift and sundry shop, a CD and DVD library with internet facilities and laundry and valet services.

Manila Peninsula reopens after seize The Manila Peninsula reopened for business this week, four days after rebel soldiers seized it as the base for an aborted uprising. Except for the left side of the hotel's doors which were rammed down by an armoured personnel carrier, Peninsula said that the hotel would "look exactly the way it did" before the incident. The hotel had to carry out primarily minor repairs and a cleanup of the hotel's lobby and ballroom, which was taken over by the renegade soldiers. It said repairs on the door apparently would take some time.

By Kerstin Kühn

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