Starwood enters Samoa with 2 hotels

Starwood Hotels & Resorts has signed its first management contracts in Samoa. The twin deals will see the US hotel giant take over the running of Aggie Grey’s Hotel & Bungalows and Aggie Grey’s Lagoon Beach Resort & Spa on the island of Upolu Samoa. The hotels will join the Starwood immediately, but will relaunch as the Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey’s Hotel and the Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey’s Resort in mid-2014, following extensive renovations. The signings mark Starwood’s debut into the country, with Sheraton becoming the first international hotel brand to enter the Samoan market. “We are delighted to announce this partnership and build on our already strong relationship with the Grey family,” said Sean Hunt, Starwood’s regional vice president for the Pacific. “The Grey family has been an institution in Samoa providing superior service and amenities since the early 1900s.” Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey’s Hotel, which is located on a waterfront site in the centre of the Samoan capital Apia, will reopen in 2014 with 198 rooms and more than 1,500m² of meeting space. Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey’s Resort meanwhile, is set on a lagoon beachfront, five minutes’ drive from the airport. Upon reopening it will feature 140 rooms and suites, all with beach and ocean views, as well as tennis courts and access to nearby golf facilities. Both properties will offer fitness centres, Microsoft technology hubs in the lobbies, restaurants and bars, casinos and outdoor resort-style swimming pools and pool bars. These Samoa hotels mark the latest stage in Starwood’s South Pacific expansion. Also joining the brand’s portfolio next year will be the Sheraton Fiji Resort & Spa Tokoriki Island and Sheraton New Caledonia Deva Resort & Spa. Source: Travel Daily