Northstar

www.travelweeklyweb.com www.travelweeklyweb.com 4 | ■ TRAVELWeekly AsiA | JULY 2014 NEWs Carlson full ownership of Carlson Wagonlit Travel AMSTERDAM – Carlson has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire from JPMorgan Chase & Co. ("JPMC"), the 45% stake JPMC indirectly holds in Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT). As a result of this acquisition, Carlson will own 100% of CWT. The transaction is expected to be completed in July 2014, subject to customary closing conditions. "We are pleased with the momentum, growth and results realised by the management team at CWT. This acquisition, along with our ongoing investment in Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and its family of brands, will help solidify our long term direction for the company," said Carlson President and CEO Trudy Rautio. "We have benefitted from a long relationship with JPMorgan Chase & Co. and will continue to work with them in the future." CWT is a global leader specializing in business travel and meetings management, employing nearly 19,000 people worldwide spanning more than 150 countries and territories. Starwood Hotels & Resorts to add two properties into its Malaysian portfolio K U AL A L U MP U R – Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has signed an agreement with IOI Properties Group to manage two hotels – Four Points by Sheraton Puchong and Le Méridien Putrajaya, slated to open in the fall of 2014 and 2015, respectively. The two hotels will add 599 rooms to Starwood's robust portfolio in the country and reflect Starwood's desire to expand into the fast growing districts of Malaysia. "We are delighted to announce the signings of Four Points by Sheraton and Le Méridien in the Klang Valley, underscoring our expansion plans in Malaysia, one of the world's most dynamic destinations," said Chuck Abbott, Regional Vice President, Southeast Asia, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. "We look forward to further strengthening our footprint in the country as we welcome these two hotels into our portfolio." Starwood currently operates 12 hotels in the country's key destinations, including Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, and Kuching. In addition to Four Points by Sheraton Puchong and Le Méridien Putrajaya, Starwood's Malaysian pipeline includes: The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur, W Kuala Lumpur, Sheraton Petaling Jaya Hotel, Sheraton Desaru Hotel, and Four Points by Sheraton Kota Kinabalu. [L-R] Tan Sri Dato' Lee Shin Cheng, Mr Lee Yeow Seng, Mr Chuck Abbott, Mr Stephen Ho Westin reaches the 200 th hotel milestone STAMFORD – The Westin brand has reached its 200th hotel milestone with the opening of The Westin Chongqing Liberation Square in China. Westin will follow this growth milestone with the opening of three more hotels in China: The Westin Zhujiajian Resort in Zhoushan, The Westin Blue Bay Resort in Qingshui Bay, Hainan and The Westin Haikou in Hainan. Starwood expects to open a total of nine new Westin hotels worldwide in 2014 and nearly another 30 by the end of 2016, with almost half of those new hotels in Asia Pacific, the brand's fastest growing region. Demand for Westin continues to surge in China and India, the world's two fastest growing travel markets. The opening of The Westin Chongqing marks the Westin brand's debut in this important economic hub in southwest China and offers travelers an ideal location in the city's central business district. By year's end, the Westin portfolio in China will surpass 20 hotels, including debuts in several other new markets such as Zhujiajian in Zhoushan, Qingshui Bay and Haikou in Hainan. In the next three years, the Westin portfolio in China will increase by nearly 50% with the addition of 11 new hotels. In India, Westin will also open The Westin Delhi NCR Noida next year, as the brand remains on track to grow its portfolio in the country by 50% in the next three years. In Indonesia, Westin will jump from one to three hotels in the next two years. In addition to The Westin Ubud Resort & Spa opening in Bali this fall, the brand will debut The Westin Jakarta in 2015. Westin also continues to reignite in markets across Asia Pacific with the brand's return to Singapore last November after a 12-year absence and in 2016 will re-enter the Philippines. In the Middle East, Westin is expanding rapidly and will triple its portfolio by 2016 with the addition of five new hotels in markets including Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. [L-R] Mr Qian Jin, President, Greater China, Starwoods Hotels & Resor ts Worldwide; Mr Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader for Westin Hotels & Resor ts & Mr Stephen Ho, President, Asia Pacific

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