WHITE PLAINS-Now under construction and scheduled to open in mid 2002, the hotel will feature 239 guest rooms, including 12 suites and one penthouse suite, 7,700 sf of meeting space, a business center, spa and fitness center, a lobby bar and a full-service restaurant. Starwood, headquartered here, did not divulge the development cost.

“The success and growth of W Hotels since the brand's 1998 debut is exciting,” says Barry S. Sternlicht, chairman and chief executive officer of Starwood. “Partnering with Grupo Plan Planificacion enables us to develop our second international W, and we hope to continue to partner to do many more international as well as domestic W Hotels. We are excited to see W expand into Latin America and, specifically, into Mexico City.”

Osvaldo Librizzi, president of Starwood Latin America adds, “The enthusiastic reception of W Hotels has demonstrated that there is a large market for a hotel collection that successfully marries boutique hotel flair with the quality and functionality of larger brands. With the first W in Latin America we bring to the region a new concept in hotels that sophisticated travelers from all over the world will relish.”