Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. today announced that it has signed an agreement with the Deputy Ruler of the emirate of Sharjah, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Salem Al Qassimi, to manage its first hotel in Sharjah, a business and leisure travel destination designated as an Arab Capital of Culture. The new Sheraton Sharjah will open beginning of 2013, marking the debut of Starwood in the emirate.

Starwood currently operates 20 hotels in the United Arab Emirates represented by six of its nine distinct and compelling brands. The company has plans to expand its portfolio with ten new hotels in the country scheduled to open over the next few years.

According to Roeland Vos, President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa, Middle East (EAME), entering Sharjah is part of the company’s commitment to growth in the Middle East and focus on emerging markets. “We are delighted to be working with Sheikh Abdullah as we introduce Starwood to Sharjah with our most iconic brand. With the new commitment to tourism developed by the government, Sharjah is set to become a major travel destination in the region, offering culture and tradition as well as sunshine, beaches and shopping.”

Located on Al Muntazah Beach in the north of the emirate, Sheraton Sharjah will offer 343 ocean front rooms including 48 suites. The hotel will feature an all-day dining restaurant, a seafood restaurant, a Persian speciality restaurant, and a pool/beach grill on a private beach. The hotel’s business facilities include a suite of six meeting rooms, and two ballrooms, one of which at 850 square metres will be the largest hotel ballroom in the emirate. The hotel will also feature Link@SheratonSM experienced with Microsoft, a unique communications hub delivering the technology modern guests expect and require while on the road.

H.H. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Salem Al Qassimi expressed his pleasure and content for signing the management agreement with Starwood and said: “We look forward to a very fruitful association with Starwood and we are confident that, through this association, the Sheraton Sharjah Hotel and Resort shall be one of the leading destinations in the U.A.E. and Gulf Area.”

The design of the hotel reflects traditional architecture with wind-tower features, landscaped courtyard and pool areas. Just 10 kilometres from Sharjah International Airport and 15 kilometres from Dubai International Airport, the resort will play a key role in increasing business travel in the emirate in addition to attracting regional and international tourists tempted by the beachfront location, spacious rooms with Sheraton’s renowned Sweet SleeperTM Bed and a 950 square metre spa and the brand’s signature fitness offering - Sheraton Fitness by Core Performance. The Sheraton Sweet Sleeper was designed to meet AAA’s Five Diamond Award® criteria.

Already a major travel destination for Middle Eastern and European families, Sharjah was the first emirate in the U.A.E. to focus on international tourism, developing as a beach destination some 40 years ago. While it has since expanded as an industrial and shipping hub, the emirate also boasts numerous museums and cultural centres in an ongoing celebration of Arab culture.

Sheraton Sharjah Hotel & Resort is Starwood’s sixth Sheraton hotel in the United Arab Emirates, joining the iconic Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort, Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers, Sheraton Deira Hotel, Sheraton Khalidiya Hotel and Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Resort & Towers. Starwood currently operates nearly 50 hotels in the Middle East under eight of the company’s nine brands including: The Luxury Collection, St. Regis, Sheraton, Westin, W Hotels, Le Méridien, Four Points by Sheraton and Aloft. Starwood plans to open additional hotels under its Sheraton brand in Pakistan and Oman in next three years.