Starwood's trailblazing eco-wise brand will debut in China with the opening of Element Suzhou science and technology town in 2015. Bordering Shanghai in the east, Suzhou is a prime example of a fast growing secondary city.
SUZHOU – Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. signed an agreement with Suzhou Science and Technology Town Kexin Cultural Tourism Development Co., Ltd. to open a new-build Element(R) hotel in Suzhou Science and Technology Town, an eco-city located in the heart of Suzhou National New & Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, in the west area of Suzhou and adjacent to Tai Lake.
Slated for completion in mid-2015, the hotel, Element Suzhou Science and Technology Town, marks the Element brand’s entry to Asia Pacific, as well as the presence of all of Starwood’s nine differentiated lifestyle brands in the region.
Launched in 2008, the Element brand has made history as the only major global hotel brand to mandate that all of its properties pursue LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for high-performance buildings. More than just a “green” hotel brand, however, Element hotels are designed to provide the balance that business and leisure travelers need to thrive on the road.
“We are delighted to introduce the Element brand in Asia Pacific with this hotel in China, our fastest growing and most dynamic travel market,” said Qian Jin, President, Greater China, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. “Chinese travelers are open to, and seek out, innovative and affordable hotel brands, and Element’s arrival not only completes Starwood’s brand line-up, but also echoes the growing consciousness of sustainable development in China.”
Robert Zhang, Vice President, Acquisitions & Development, Greater China, added, “The Element brand with its trailblazing eco-wise proposition, is a great fit with SSTT’s green concept. We expect this new property to become a flagship Element hotel, re-setting the bar on hotel innovation and sustainability in the region.”
“Starwood is the largest global luxury and upper-scale hotel operator in the world, with nine distinctive brands, including the eco-conscious Element, a perfect match with Suzhou Science and Technology Town, an eco-city that promotes a harmonious relationship among technology, nature, and culture,” said Chen Ming, Deputy Director of Suzhou Science and Technology Town Administration Committee, Suzhou Science and Technology Town Kexin Cultural Tourism Development Co., Ltd. “We are confident that this will become a mutually beneficial collaboration. We look forward to the successful opening of Element Suzhou Science and Technology Town, which will set a new benchmark for the hospitality industry.”
With over 2,500 years of rich history, Suzhou is transforming into an urbanized, high tech industrial development zone. It currently houses firms engaged in the electronics, IT, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, electrical machinery, and chemicals industries.
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