Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announces the opening of six new Westin hotels the remaining six weeks of the year. The upcoming openings underscore the Westin brand’s focus on international expansion and will include locations in India: The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace, The Westin Mumbai Garden City and The Westin Pune Koregaon Park; China: The Westin Tianjin; and the United States: The Westin Washington Dulles Airport and The Westin Lake Mary, Orlando North.

“Even during these challenging economic times, Starwood Hotels & Resorts continues to open best-in-class Westin hotels around the world by working with our proven development partners,” said Simon Turner, President of Global Development for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “With its diverse growth plan and reputation for quality among consumers and developers, the Westin brand is poised for long-term success in both established and emerging destinations around the world.”

Building on the six remaining properties in 2009, the Westin brand will continue its meaningful international expansion in 2010. Next year’s 12 openings span Canada, China, Greece, Japan, India, Mexico and the United States.

“The Westin brand is at a pivotal point in its life cycle, with an unprecedented opportunity for international growth,” said Nancy London, Vice President of Westin Hotels. “Today, 111 of our 163 existing hotels are in North America. But looking ahead, we will see a seismic shift in this number with 70 percent of the pipeline located outside the United States in markets throughout Asia and the Middle East. As secular changes create more business and leisure travel to and from these emerging markets, it is critical that we establish a leading presence there today to ensure the success of the Westin brand tomorrow.”