The FINANCIAL — Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. on June 2 announced its global powerhouse Sheraton brand has returned to Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro’s exclusive modern enclave, featuring some of the city’s best beaches and future home of the 2016 Rio Olympics.
With the opening of Sheraton Barra Rio de Janeiro Hotel today, Starwood now has two distinct Sheraton hotels covering the city’s key locations, catering to both business and leisure travelers. The hotel will operate under a management agreement with Condominio do Edificio Sheraton Barra, accordinf to Starwood.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sheraton Barra Rio de Janeiro Hotel back into our portfolio, strengthening our position as the largest five-star hotel operator in Brazil,” said Jorge Giannattasio , Senior Vice-president and Chief of Latin America Operations for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “Facing breathtaking white sandy beaches, the hotel will provide guests with the world-class service that is the cornerstone of the Sheraton brand.”
As part of the hotel’s integration into the Sheraton portfolio, the property will undergo a multi-million dollar transformation. The initial phase, scheduled for completion in the next two years, comprises the renovation of all guestrooms and suites, as well as the lobby and pool, to reflect the brand’s newest design standards. It also includes structural improvements to enhance the guest experience. The final phase will include all public areas, as well as Sheraton Fitness, and the restaurant and is slated for completion by 2018.
The beachfront Sheraton Barra Rio de Janeiro Hotel is located in the heart of Barra da Tijuca, providing guests access to the pristine beaches of the city. The central location offers easy access to the Barra Shopping Mall, with more than 700 stores and restaurants, and Riocentro, the largest convention center in South America with more than 80,000 square meters of convention space.
The hotel features 292 guest rooms, all with breathtaking ocean views, and Sheraton signature amenities and services. In the open-concept hotel lobby is the LinkSheraton where guests can stay connected with complimentary wireless and broadband Internet. Terral, an all-day dining restaurant offers international cuisine and a deck with spectacular ocean views. In addition, it has 1,000 square meters of meeting and event space. For relaxation, it also offers an outdoor swimming pool.
Starwood in Brazil
Brazil is crucial to Starwood’s expansion strategy in Latin America. With this opening, the company now operates 97 hotels in eighteen countries, with plans to reach 150 hotels by 2020. Starwood is the largest five-star hotel operator in Brazil, with nine properties that include seven Sheraton and two Four Points by Sheraton hotels, covering the country’s most important cities in key states.
Now, Starwood has two hotels in Rio designed to meet the individual needs of the most discerning guests. Sheraton Rio Hotel & Resort is steps away from Leblon with easy access to the trendy and cosmopolitan neighborhoods of Ipanema and Copacabana. The hotel was completely redesigned last year with a renovation valued at more than US$ 50 million.
In 2014, Starwood also entered the Northeast of Brazil with the opening of Sheraton Reserva do Paiva Hotel & Convention Center. Just 30 minutes away from Recife in the Northeast of the country, the beachfront hotel boasts 298 rooms and more than 1,400 square meters of meeting space with a private Beach Club. Also in the Northeast, Sheraton da Bahia in the city of Salvador was inaugurated in 2013, when the hotel was reopened under the Sheraton flag after a multimillion dollar investment.
The 234-room Sheraton Vitoria Hotel, in the state of Espírito Santo, is in the heart of the city’s most desirable area. Sheraton Sao Paulo WTC Hotel, featuring 296 rooms, is an integral part of the São Paulo World Trade Center Complex, an important business hub in this financial center.
To the South, Sheraton Porto Alegre Hotel is the only five-star property in the city, with 169 rooms and space for private meetings and events. It is also located in the city’s most exclusive neighborhood, and adjacent to Moinhos de Vento, its upscale shopping mall.
Starwood also operates its fast-growing specialty select brand Four Points by Sheraton in Brazil. Four Points by Sheraton Curitiba, serves this important cultural, political, and economic hub, which is the largest city in the south of Brazil. Four Points by Sheraton Macae is in the heart of this emerging city considered to be the center of the Brazilian offshore petroleum industry.
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