Starwood Hotels & Resorts has announced that its Sheraton brand continues to lead the company’s global growth and strengthen Starwood’s position as one of the largest international hotel operators in China. Twenty-five new Sheraton hotels will open this year, including 16 in cities across China. Sheraton will also lead Starwood’s future global expansion and represents 30% of the company’s total development pipeline.

This year, Sheraton will open its fourth hotel in Shanghai, its second in Beijing and its first two hotels in Guangzhou. With the addition of 16 new hotels in 2011, Sheraton will increase its portfolio in China to 53 by year’s end. The iconic hotel brand also accounts for 50% of the Starwood hotels under development in China, moving Starwood closer to its goal of operating 100 hotels in China by the end of 2012.