Starwood has appointed Victor Vazquez to the role of Vice President, Development and Acquisitions for Latin America. Vazquez will report to Matthew Fry, Senior Vice President, Global Development, and will oversee the company’s aggressive growth strategy in the region.
“I am excited to join Starwood as the company looks to build on its already strong footprint in Latin America,” said Vazquez. “The region is ripe with opportunities for hotel development, and I look forward to working with Starwood’s many experienced local teams to introduce our globally recognized and admired brands into new markets.”
Vazquez, who has relocated to the company’s Miami office, brings more than 20 years of experience, most recently serving as brand standards and global project lead in Singapore for IHG. In that role, he was responsible for shaping and executing the operations strategy for IHG’s Asia, Middle East & Africa (AMEA) division and led the development of hotel operations models and process for new hotel brands, joint ventures and special projects.
Prior to that, Vazquez was part of the Global Operations team and Operations Council based out of IHG’s head office in the United Kingdom, and held a variety of positions within the company, including roles in feasibility, development, investment and asset management, brands and operations/finance support. He also served as a General Manager and gained hotel operations and hotel openings experience at city-center, resort and convention properties in the U.S., Argentina and Venezuela.
Victor is a CPA who holds a MBA from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Latin America growth strategy
Starwood announced that it is continuing its aggressive growth strategy in Latin America with significant gains across its Specialty Select Brands’ (SSB), Four Points by Sheraton and Aloft.
With an existing SSB portfolio of 17 hotels under the Four Points by Sheraton and Aloft brands in Latin America, and 10 new hotels under development, the category is slated to expand by 60 percent in the next three years.
Seven new Four Points hotels are slated to debut in the fastest-growing markets in Latin America in the next three years. In Mexico – the company’s seventh largest market worldwide and largest market in the region – the company opened Four Points Queretaro in September, and will open three more hotels, including Four Points Saltillo in October, Four Points Cancun in December and Four Points Puebla in 2017. In Colombia, where the company is placing a strategic bet on expansion, Four Points Bogota and Four Points Barranquilla will also open by the end of the year. In addition, the brand will open Four Points Cuenca in Ecuador by September 2017.
Three new Aloft hotels will open by 2016 in the region, including Aloft Merida, Aloft Montevideo and Aloft Asuncion.
Mexico continues to lead the region in terms of expansion, with eight hotels under development by 2017. In addition to the upcoming Four Points hotels, Starwood will open Aloft Merida, The Westin Cozumel, W Kanai Retreat and The St. Regis Kanai in Riviera Maya by 2016. In Colombia, the W Bogota will also open by the end of the year, followed by Sheraton Cartagena by the end of 2015. W Panama and Sheraton Santa Cruz are slated to open by 2016.
