VILLARICA, CHILE Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has signed a management agreement with Grupo Hotelera Aguas Verdes SA to manage Villarrica Park Lake Hotel & Spa under The Luxury Collection brand.
The property will undergo renovations to its guestrooms and suites and will become a part of The Luxury Collection portfolio in December.
“We are excited to strengthen our presence in Chile, one of the Latin American fastest growing economies,” says Osvaldo Librizzi, president of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Latin America. “We are proud to welcome international travelers to our second Luxury Collection Hotel in Chile, joining the San Cristobal Tower Hotel in Santiago. Our guests already trust The Luxury Collection for exceptional and highly personal luxury travel experiences.”
Built in 2002, the 70-key Villarrica Park Lake Hotel & Spa was recently named Best South America Resort in the 2010 World Travel Awards.
“The Luxury Collection is a portal to the world’s most enriching and desirable destinations, where nothing less than an exceptional level of service, perfect location and indigenous personal offerings will do,” says Paul James, global brand leader for The Luxury Collection and St. Regis Hotels & Resorts. “Villarrica Park Lake Hotel & Spa, with its unrivaled natural surroundings, will undoubtedly offer global travelers unique and spectacular experiences in one of South America’s most culturally diverse and vibrant destinations.”
The property is situated in the Araucania region, 435 miles south of Santiago, surrounded by lakes, volcanoes and mountains. The Villarrica and nearby Pucon areas are renowned for their unique natural environments, characterized by snowcapped volcanoes, crystal-clear lakes and rivers, thermal baths, ski centers and national parks. The area features the archeological remains of the Spanish colonial period blended with the influence of the Mapuche indigenous culture.
“This is an enormous step in the history for our company,” says Tamara Kaufmann, executive director of Grupo Hotelera Aguas Verdes. “Joining Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ acclaimed Luxury Collection brand will significantly increase the recognition of the Villarrica Park Lake Hotel, as well as give broader international exposure to the uniqueness of the Aracucania Region located in southern Chile. Additionally, the renovations already under way in anticipation of joining the Luxury Collection Brand will allow us to even better deliver to all our guests the highest level of service which they have come to expect when visiting the hotel.”
With the addition of Villarrica Park Lake Hotel & Spa, Starwood operates seven hotels in Chile, including San Cristobal Tower, A Luxury Collection Hotel; W Santiago; Sheraton Santiago Hotel & Convention Center;Sheraton Miramar Hotel & Convention Center in Vina del Mar; Four Points by Sheraton Santiago; and Four Points by Sheraton Los Angeles.