At the DR DATE tourism marketing event in Punta Cana last week, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced the signing of a franchise agreement for the operation of the first Westin hotel in the Dominican Republic. Construction on The Westin Puntacana Resort is scheduled to begin this summer with an opening planned for the winter of 2013.
“The Westin Puntacana Resort is a highly anticipated addition to our growing resorts portfolio, offering travelers a refreshing, island retreat on one of the most popular islands in the Caribbean,” said Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader for Westin Hotels & Resorts. “The new resort will offer all of the Westin brand’s signature programs and amenities, designed to inspire wellbeing and send guests home feeling better than when they arrived.”
The 204-room resort would be built minutes away from the Punta Cana International Airport within the Playa Blanca area of Puntacana Resort & Club. Westin announces that guests would have access to three miles of white sand beaches, 45 holes of championship golf, nine restaurants, the Six Senses Spa and the 1,500-acre ecological reserve. The hotel itself will feature 16 suites, meeting and wedding facilities, a children’s club and walking trails.
The Westin Puntacana Resort will be the second Starwood property to open in the Dominican Republic. Construction is advanced on the 122-room Four Points by Sheraton Puntacana Village Hotel scheduled for opening in October.
Westin was to have operated the RocoKi resort in Macao in northern Punta Cana, but financial difficulties have put its completion on hold.