BURSA, TURKEY Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. has signed agreements with Faik Celik Turizm to develop two new hotels in Bursa, Turkey’s culturally-charged industrial center.
The new Sheraton and Aloft hotels are slated to open in 2013. Located in an emerging business and upscale residential area adjacent to the Bursa New Cultural Green Park and upcoming soccer stadium, Sheraton Bursa and Aloft Bursa will together add 304 guestrooms.
Starwood currently operates five hotels in Turkey and plans to open two additional hotels in the country later this year. This development marks Starwood’s debut in Bursa.
“Reaching out to new frontiers is a focus of our expansion strategy, so we are delighted to partner with Faik Celik Holding as we debut the first Starwood hotels in Bursa,” says Roeland Vos, president of Starwood in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. “The city of Bursa is evolving as a metropolitan center of culture, industry, sport and leisure, making it an ideal match for our unique and compelling brands.”
Located on the southeast shore of Sea of Marmara, 235 km from Istanbul, Bursa is the fastest growing city in Turkey with a young population attracted by opportunities in its textile and automotive industries, as well as the tourism and sports sectors.
Sheraton Bursa Hotel will feature 171 guestrooms, including 47 executive rooms and 10 suites, plus two restaurants, lobby lounge and bar, a fitness center, pool and spa. The hotel will also comprise more than 1,700 sq. m of meeting and event facilities, including a large ballroom and pre-function area plus five conference rooms, business center and the brand’s signature Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft. The hotel will also feature Sheraton Club, providing guests with an upgraded experience in the private club lounge.
Aloft Bursa will feature 133 loft-style rooms, the signature W XYZ bar, the Re:Charge fitness center and the Re:Fuel grab-and-go F&B outlet.
Aloft is open in six countries: United States, Canada, China, United Arab Emirates, India and Belgium.
Starwood operates five hotels throughout Turkey, including three in Istanbul: W Istanbul, Sheraton Istanbul Maslak Hotel and Sheraton Istanbul Atakoy Hotel. The company also operates Sheraton Cesme Hotel Resort and Spa, Sheraton Ankara Hotel & Convention Centre and will open a Luxury Collection hotel in the capital later this year. Le Méridien Istanbul Etiler is scheduled to open at the end of this year.