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Starwood Hotels’ Managerial Endeavor to China
Maldives Promotion House – Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1051 properties in 100 countries and territories with 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties.
Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Le Méridien, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft, and Element SM.
The company boasts one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts.
Starwood currently has two resorts under two brand names in Maldives, W Maldives Retreat & Spa, their W resort, and Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa, their Sheraton resort.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. recently announced an unprecedented managerial endeavor to move its Senior Leadership Team to China for one month. From June 8th through July 11th, Starwood President & CEO Frits van Paasschen and the company’s top executives will be headquartered in Shanghai, where they will conduct day-to-day business on a 12-hour time difference with their usual operations in White Plains, New York.
This unique relocation underscores Starwood’s game-changing growth in China, which recently became its second largest market outside of the U.S. and its fastest growing. The move also reflects Starwood’s innovative approach to cultivate a more global culture in a company that grew up largely in the United States.
“With properties in nearly 100 countries, Starwood is no longer an American company that happens to run some hotels overseas. Today, we’re a global company that happens to be based in New York,” Van Paasschen said.
“Eighty percent of our future pipeline is outside of North America, and nowhere is more emblematic of our global growth than China, where we will open one hotel every two weeks this year. China’s spectacular transformation is hard to grasp unless experienced firsthand – it’s the proverbial, ‘you can’t really understand a culture until you buy groceries there,’” Van Paasschen added.
From their home base in Shanghai, van Paasschen and seven members of his Senior Leadership Team will conduct daily business in an unconventional effort to understand, appreciate and ultimately leverage different cultural perspectives and approaches to business.
In addition, more than 20 Starwood executives from the U.S. and international locations will join the team throughout the course of the relocation. The group will delve into Starwood’s extensive business in China, meeting with local customers, partners and developers, while also touring new properties throughout the country.
During its month abroad, Starwood’s Senior Leadership Team will also bolster the company’s guest loyalty outreach among Chinese travelers. As one of the world’s fastest growing travel markets, with 100 million outbound travelers expected by 2015, China will play an outsized role in global travel within the next decade. The country continues to be the richest source of new loyal travelers for Starwood, with Chinese enrollment in Starwood Preferred Guest, Starwood’s loyalty program, jumping 71 percent in 2010.
Based on the anticipated success of Starwood’s managerial experiment in China, the company intends to implement a month-long global relocation annually. Its next high-growth target markets include Brazil, the United Arab Emirates and India.
“It is not just language that gets lost in translation, but also cultural nuances. The companies that will break away in an increasingly global world will be those that are most globally fluent,” van Paasschen said.
Starwood’s global relocation is also a symbolic trip, as the company reaches a new milestone: for the first time in its history, Starwood has more hotels outside the U.S. than inside. As the world’s most global hotel company with more hotels in emerging markets than its competitors, Starwood is on the frontlines of globalization, and is experiencing explosive growth in India, the Middle East, Africa and of course, China.
Starwood enjoys a first-mover advantage in China dating back to 1985 with the landmark debut of the Great Wall Sheraton Hotel in Beijing, which was the first international branded hotel in the People’s Republic of China. Today, Starwood has more than 70 hotels in China flying eight of its nine brands’ flags and another 90 properties in the pipeline.
Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts is set to welcome guests to a festive season shaped by discovery, creativity, tradition and togetherness, with distinctive year-end experiences unfolding across Atmosphere Kanifushi, VARU by Atmosphere and RAAYA by Atmosphere.
Bringing together Maldivian heritage, immersive experiences, culinary celebrations, wellness and uniquely designed entertainment, the festive lineups invite guests to experience the season through the individual character of each island.
At Atmosphere Kanifushi, the festive season unfolds as Kanifushi Odyssey, from 21 December 2026 to 7 January 2027, with a journey through themed island celebrations. Guests can step into Pirates Under the Stars, welcome Santa by the sea on Christmas Eve and experience the enchanting atmosphere of Christmas in Neon Tides on Christmas Day. The programme also celebrates the island’s cultural spirit through The Spirit of Kanifushi, alongside themed culinary evenings such as Kanifushi Trattoria and World Kitchen. The festivities culminate in The Crown of Midnight, a spectacular New Year’s Eve gala marking the beginning of a new year in unforgettable island style.
At RAAYA by Atmosphere, Wonka Winter Wonderland runs from 23 December 2026 to 7 January 2027, bringing a playful, imaginative twist to the festive season with chocolate-inspired experiences, creative activities and celebrations for all ages. Highlights include the Wonka Winterland Glow-in-the-Dark Party, a Christmas morning featuring chocolate carving and Santa’s arrival, and a traditional Maldivian dinner accompanied by Bodu Beru. For New Year’s Eve, the island transforms into a Masquerade celebration, where distinctive dining and captivating entertainment set the scene for a memorable countdown.
At VARU by Atmosphere, the festive programme, from 22 December 2026 to 7 January 2027, rooted in the spirit of the Maldives celebrates Colour of Lights – A Luminous Island Journey weaving local tropical island character into the celebrations. Guests can savour Maldivian high tea and treats prepared at live sweets stations, enjoy festive cinema beneath the stars and join the VARU family for Christmas carols. These island-inspired experiences lead into the Festive Christmas Eve Gala, bringing guests together through local traditions, warm hospitality and the naturally Maldivian character of VARU.
Beyond the major celebrations, the festive calendars across Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts feature a variety of experiences, with most activities included in the Holiday Plan. Designed to let guests experience the islands at their own pace, these include wellness and rejuvenation, marine exploration, creative workshops, family activities, culinary discoveries and evenings beneath the Maldivian sky.
Together, the three resorts offer distinctly unique interpretations of the festive season, united by a shared approach to hospitality: creating meaningful experiences that guests can discover, enjoy and remember long after their island stay.
Discover your next Maldivian escape and explore the festive calendars on the Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts website.
SAiiLand welcomes visitors of all ages to explore a secret fantasy garden, swim in a sea of holiday cheer, and create their own fairy-tale moments. From festive family pool parties to culinary feasts bursting with flavour, every detail has been thoughtfully designed to ensure a celebration full of warmth, fun, and SAiiSational spirit. With live music, treasure hunts, and immersive experiences, this festive season promises to bring joy at every turn.
This year, SAii Lagoon Maldives, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, invites guests to wander through a Secret Fantasy Garden, reach for the horizon, discover the unexpected, and dive into the island’s festive atmosphere. Whether crafting gingerbread houses, dancing under a sky full of stars, or enjoying a secret garden-inspired gala, every aspect of the SAiiLand adventure has been curated to blend joy, elegance, and island spirit.
Alexander Traeger, General Manager at SAii Lagoon Maldives, expressed excitement about sharing the season’s magic with guests. “Whether seeking exceptional dining experiences with family or winter sun adventures in the Maldives, there is something special for everyone.”
Visitors can enjoy festive cocktails at sundown, race through the SAii Amazing Race, or indulge in a feast beneath the stars. The festivities begin with a charming Christmas Cake Mixing Ceremony and culminate in a stunning New Year’s Eve countdown, complete with fireworks and endless celebrations. Guests can look forward to live music, culinary delights, and a few magical surprises to make the end of the year truly unforgettable.
Fuvahmulah Island in the Maldives has been recognised as the location of the largest documented aggregation of tiger sharks globally, according to a recent study published on Nature.com.
Over six years, researchers led by Lennart Vossgaetter from the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research in Germany identified 239 individual tiger sharks through non-invasive photo identification methods. This represents the highest number of individual tiger sharks recorded in a single, geographically confined area.
The research revealed that tiger sharks around Fuvahmulah exhibit strong site fidelity, especially adult females, which remain in the area for extended periods during gestation. The waters surrounding the island provide critical habitat for these sharks, offering warm temperatures and a consistent food supply from discarded fish waste, making it ideal for reproduction.
Positive Outlook for Tiger Shark Conservation
The study highlighted Fuvahmulah as a vital site for tiger shark conservation in the Indian Ocean, housing the world’s largest known aggregation. The protected status of sharks in Maldivian waters contributes to the island being a “bright spot” for conservation efforts. Researchers emphasise that the island’s waters are essential for supporting female tiger sharks during gestation, serving as a crucial refuge that helps sustain their population.
However, the researchers also pointed out the necessity for further studies on the geographic connectivity of Fuvahmulah’s tiger sharks. Telemetry research could determine whether these sharks primarily inhabit the protected waters of the Maldives shark sanctuary or venture beyond its limits. Such insights are essential for understanding their movements and enhancing conservation strategies.
Balancing Tourism and Conservation
The study also raised concerns about the absence of formal regulations governing shark tourism in the Maldives, which has become a significant economic driver for local communities. The researchers noted that shark diving at sites like Fuvahmulah’s “Tiger Harbour” is currently unregulated, lacking official guidelines for shark provisioning for tourism purposes. Existing codes of conduct at diving sites are voluntary and vary by dive center.
Drawing inspiration from successful management strategies employed in other shark diving destinations, such as locally managed marine protected areas (MPAs) in Fiji, the researchers recommended establishing formal regulations to oversee shark provisioning and diving practices in Fuvahmulah. They argued that adopting sustainable practices is crucial to ensure the long-term conservation of tiger sharks and the economic benefits derived from shark tourism.
To prevent future conflicts between tourism and conservation, the study advocates for incorporating stakeholder interests into local management plans, promoting sustainable ecotourism practices in one of the world’s largest shark sanctuaries.
About Fuvahmulah Island
Fuvahmulah is the second southern-most atoll in the Maldives, situated 500 km from the capital, Male. The island, home to a population of 9000, is accessible via daily scheduled flights operated by the national carrier, Maldivian. Several dive centres are located near the harbour, accommodating the growing number of tourists who visit for tiger shark diving.
In addition to its fame as the “Tiger Shark Island”, Fuvahmulah is also known for its long, white sandy pebble beach, locally called “Thoondu”, on the northeast coast. The beach, with its natural beach breaks, is a popular destination for surfing.
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