W Hotels, a luxurious hotel brand, well known for its aggressive, audacious and creative design, will open in Zhujiang New City, Guangzhou. As the 6th W Hotel (super five-star) in Asia, the W Hotel Guangzhou will cost nearly RMB 1.5 billion and is expected to open in 2009.

Since its establishment in the US in 1998, the W Hotels have become a successful super high-end hotel brand. The W Hotel pursues a design philosophy of fashion, audacity and creativity and is highly popular among high-income professionals in design, finance and IT circles. Its room and suite prices are far higher than those of the established competing five-star international hotels. The W Hotel Guangzhou will have two towers serving as a 320-room hotel and a 190-room international apartment. It will be the 6th W Hotel managed by the Starwood Group.

In addition the Starwood Group will build the new Sheraton Huadu Holiday Hotel (five-star) and the Sheraton Dongpu Fupeng Hotel (four-star) which will both open in 2009.

Currently the five-star hotels under construction in Guangzhou total more than 10.  It is expected that the number will top out at 24 in the period leading up to the 2010 Asian Games.

Editor: Donald