WHITE PLAINS, NY, August 30, 2007. Starwood
Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT),
today announced that W Hotels will open its
first property in Indonesia in 2009. W Retreat &
Spa–Bali will be the brand’s fourth retreat in
the world, following the award-winning W Retreat
& Spa-Maldives, which opened in September 2006,
and the impending openings of W Retreat & Spa-Vieques,
scheduled to open in late 2008, and W Retreat &
Residences-Koh Samui, scheduled to open in 2009.
The newly built W Retreat & Spa-Bali will be
located in the Seminyak area on the paradise
isle of Bali, featuring 232 rooms, including 80
luxury villas. Developed by PT Dua Cahaya
Anugrah (“DCA”), W Retreat & Spa–Bali is
situated in the southern seas with a story-book
setting of sun-drenched beaches, rustic
villages, fertile plains and sculptured rice
terraces. The retreat’s 157 guest rooms will
provide direct ocean views and its 80 villas
will reflect designs of a traditional Balinese
courtyard featuring a private pool for guests to
enjoy a personal refreshing experience.
“Following the success of our first W Retreat &
Spa, the award-winning W Maldives, W Retreat &
Spa–Bali is a terrific extension of our brand’s
growth in the Asia Pacific region,” said Ross
Klein, President, Starwood’s Luxury Brands
Group. “The rich and deeply spiritual culture of
Bali, combined with the cosmopolitan style and
energy of Seminyak, provides a perfect setting
for the newest edition to our Retreat & Spa
product offering. With the announcement of W
Retreat & Spa-Bali, the W brand continues to
extend beyond the boundaries of everyday travel,
offering a magical mix of sexy destinations and
sublime design.”
“We are very excited to partner with Starwood on
this project and to introduce the W brand to
Bali. We feel that the W signature design and
cosmopolitan ambience are a perfect fit with our
vision for the project,” said Magda Hutagalung
from DCA. “Its unrivaled location in Seminyak
will set a new benchmark for luxury
accommodation in Bali,” added Zamzam Reza from
DCA.
"We are thrilled with the signing of W Retreat &
Spa-Bali, marking the entry of the W brand into
Bali, undeniably one of the top-rated resort
destinations in the world,” said Miguel Ko,
President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Asia
Pacific. "The W Retreat & Spa - Bali will be a
unique alternative to the more traditional Bali
resorts. Located on a seven hectare absolute
beachfront site in Seminyak, the resort will be
within walking distance to Bali’s most trendy
boutiques, galleries, restaurants and clubs.
This addition of this retreat, coupled with The
Luxury Collection, Le Meridien and Westin
properties will certainly strengthen our
presence in Bali,” added Ko.
The resort will offer a uniquely W dining
experience with two gourmet eateries – W Kitchen
and the retreat’s waterfront signature
restaurant – a poolside destination bar and the
W Living Room. In addition to W The Store, the
brand’s retail component, a spa, pool and health
center, guests will be able to indulge in the W
brand’s signature Whatever/Whenever concierge
service that provides guests with whatever they
want, whenever they want it.
Bali is one of the 17,508 islands which make up
of the archipelagic Republic of Indonesia. For
the first half of the year, foreign arrivals to
Indonesia neared the 750,000 mark, hitting
745,949 tourists, a figure well on the way to
targeted arrivals of 1.3 -1.5 million for the
year. Comparing the first six months of 2007
with the same period in 2006, Bali's arrivals
increased an astounding 35 percent.