WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Germany-based ArabellaSheraton
Hotelmanagement company, a joint venture between Starwood Hotels and Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) and Munich-based Schorghuber Group, has assumed
management of two of Germany's historic five-star hotels: the "Hotel
Furstenhof" in Leipzig and the "Hotel Elephant" in Weimar. Both hotels are
now marketed as members of Starwood's prestigious Luxury Collection and
provide yet additional opportunities for point redemption in Europe for
members of Starwood Preferred Guest.
According to Uwe Klaus, CEO of ArabellaSheraton Hotelmanagement GmbH, the
managerial takeover of these two renowned German establishments represents a
further important step towards extensive growth in the luxury-segment. "The
declared objective of our company is the short and mid-term development of the
Luxury Collection Hotels'-brand," he commented. "In our opinion, the luxury
segment offers an ideal opportunity for successful growth of our group." The
expansion in the five-star-plus area will become an additional pillar for the
German joint venture company.
"The continued expansion of our joint venture with the Schorghuber Group
is a sign of the solid success we have achieved together with
ArabellaSheraton," said Roeland Vos, President of the European Division of
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. "Starwood is fully committed into
growing the presence of its brands in all geographical areas in Europe. These
new management contracts in Germany are another step forward in that
direction."
ArabellaSheraton's entry into the luxury-segment took place approximately
10 years ago with the ArabellaSheraton Grand Hotel Frankfurt and the
ArabellaSheraton Golf Hotel Son Vida on Majorca, both Luxury Collection
hotels. The Hotel President Wilson in Geneva began flying the Luxury
Collection banner early this year, and a 2001 opening of the ArabellaSheraton
Golf Hotel Western Cape, South Africa is planned. The group has targeted a
2002 opening of the Mardavall Spa & Resort on Majorca, another five-star
addition to the Luxury Collection family.
"The takeover of the 'Hotel Elephant' and the 'Hotel Furstenhof' is an
exceptional opportunity for us to develop our hotel presence in the north and
east of Germany," continued Uwe Klauss. "We will use this opportunity to
further strengthen our position amongst national and international
competition."
Few German hotels may look back on a history quite as rich as that of the
"Hotel Elephant," which was first officially documented in 1542. It was the
social and cultural focus of Weimar at the close of the 17th century. Goethe,
Liszt, J.S. Bach and Leo Tolstoy, to name but a few, were patrons of the
"Elephant" and contributed to the fame of this unique establishment. Thomas
Mann went as far as setting an immortal monument to it, in his famous book
"Lotte in Weimar." The hotel was completely renovated and reopened as a
five-star-deluxe hotel in 1993. It consists of 102 luxurious rooms and suites
in the elegant Bauhaus-style, the cafe-bar "Franz Liszt" and the famous
"Elephantenkeller." The hotel offers five areas for functions and events,
including a ballroom as well as a library. The hotel restaurant, "Anna
Amalia" has already been honored many times and is known to be the best
restaurant in Eastern Germany.
The hotel's famous art-collection is certainly unique: original works of
contemporary artists like Adamski, Bach, Fetting, Baselitz, etc. decorate not
only the public areas of the hotel but also all rooms and suites.
Originally built as the residence of a Leipzig banker in 1770, the "Hotel
Furstenhof" was one of the leading hotels of the city for over a century.
After several years of restoration, it was recently reopened as a
five-star-deluxe hotel. All of the 92 elegantly furnished rooms come with fax
and PC connections. The extremely rare serpentine-stone, the so-called
"marble of the Saxon kings," which graces the "Serpentine Hall," is a jewel in
the crown of art-history. Four additional venues offer space for events with
up to 100 participants. The "Restaurant Furstenhof" serves a delectable
selection of international cuisine and regional dishes. A full-service spa
and wellness area promises rest and recuperation through sauna, solarium,
whirlpool and massage.
With the management of the two hotels in Weimar and Leipzig, the
ArabellaSheraton hotel group now operates a total of 23 hotels in Germany,
Switzerland and on Majorca. ArabellaSheraton is a joint-venture company
between the Munich-based Schorghuber Group and Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc (NYSE: HOT) is one of
the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than
725 upscale and luxury properties in 80 countries and 120,000 employees at its
owned and managed properties. With internationally renowned brands, Starwood
is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchiser of hotels and resorts
including: St.Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points and
W brands, as well as Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier
developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts.
For more information, please visit us at http://www.starwoodhotels.com.
SOURCE Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.starwoodhotels.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/443150.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 443150
CONTACT:
Katie Meyer of Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc., 914-640-8247, katie.meyer@starwoodhotels.com, or
Toll-free, 866-418-2777; or Barbara Radomski of ArabellaSheraton,
011-49-89-9200-3159, or barbara.radomski@arabellasheraton.com
NOTE TO EDITORS: Please contact Starwood's new toll-free media
hotline at 866-4-STAR-PR (866-418-2777) for photography or
additional information.
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