Starwood debuted its iconic SheratonHotels & Resorts in the Middle East in 1966 and since that time the brand has grown to 16 hotels located in key business and leisure travel destinations throughout the Middle East.

Benefiting from Sheraton’s strong brand awareness, its sister brand, Four Points by Sheraton has six hotels and another five poised to open by end 2013.

Global powerhouse Le Méridien leads Starwood’s portfolio in the region with 18 hotels throughout the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. The brand will enter Qatar in 2013 with the new Le Méridien Doha.

This year Starwood will debut its ultra-luxury brand, St. Regis, in the Middle East with the opening of three St. Regis hotels - one in Doha and two in Abu Dhabi. The company plans to open additional St. Regis hotels in Amman and Dubai in the next three years.

Also on the luxury front, the UAE’s iconic Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa recently joined The Luxury Collection Portfolio. TheLuxury Collection currently has three hotels in the region throughout the UAE and in Kuwait and plans to open two additional hotels in Aqaba, Jordan and Ajman, UAE.

Design-led W Hotels made its debut in the Middle East in 2009 with the opening of the W Doha in Qatar. The brand has plans to open four more W Hotels in the region by end 2014 in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Amman, and Muscat.

Starwood’s new Aloft brand, which offers style, design and high-tech touches at an affordable price, opened in Abu Dhabi in 2009, marking the debut of the brand in the Middle East. The brand will make its entrance into Saudi Arabia in 2013 with the Aloft Riyadh.

Starwood’s newest brand, Element, will soon debut in the buzzing city of Muscat, Oman as part of a trio of Starwood hotels opening in the city. Element is Starwood’s eco-chic hotel brand that blends nature-inspired smart design, inspiring public spaces, and comfortable modern touches.