Home World Middle East Starwood’s Aloft Opening In Iraq It marks the global operator’s third property in the city, following deals for a Sheraton hotel and Four Points by Sheraton hotel earlier this year by Dominic Ellis December 19, 2012 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is taking its mid-market lifestyle brand Aloft into Iraq with the first hotel due to open in Erbil in 2015. It marks the global operator’s third property in the city, following deals for a Sheraton hotel and Four Points by Sheraton hotel earlier this year, and shows it is planning to re-enter the market wholeheartedly after a 20-year absence. The 200-room hotel, located around 10 minutes from the airport, will be part of a mixed-use complex and the agreement was signed with BCD Co. Rooms will feature high ceilings, oversized windows and platform bed as well as large walk-in showers with Bliss Spa products. Alongside an all-day dining restaurant will be re:mix and w xyz lounges designed to integrate work and leisure. The company currently operates Aloft Abu Dhabi in the Middle East and plans to expand the brand in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. All the major hospitality brands are targeting Erbil for expansion, capitalising on Kurdistan’s oil-led economic growth. 0 Comments