Nakheel Hotels has announced the opening of two prestigious projects - W Washington DC, the first W hotel in the American capital, and the historic Turnberry golf resort, located in the west of Scotland.

Starwood, one of the world’s largest hotel and leisure companies, is the operator of both The Luxury Collection and W Hotel brands and the partnership expands Nakheel Hotels' portfolio of the best luxury and contemporary hotels in key destinations around the world.

Joe Sita, CEO of Nakheel Hotels said. "We are pleased to open both of these stunning properties this week. As a leading hotels investment company we look for assets with high real estate value in irreplaceable locations, and our two newest hotels certainly fit this criteria."

"We also look at opportunities to add value through redevelopment and rebranding. Our relationships with operators such as Starwood enable us to leverage the values of their brands to further enhance the value of our investments," he remarked.

W Washington DC which opened on July 8 is the first W Hotel to open in America’s capital city. Originally built in 1888, the hotel underwent an 18-month, $100 million renovation led by renowned designer Dianna Wong that preserved the original classic architecture and blended it with the contemporary cool touches of the W design style.

Formerly known as the Hotel Washington, the historic hotel is famous for its proximity to the White House and its unbeatable views of the city’s historic monuments. The hotel will now also become a hot spot for fashion, music, entertainment, design and pop culture through W’s signature programming.

W Washington D.C. has 317 suites and guestrooms; contemporary nightlife and dining options including a famous rooftop terrace with spectacular views and a world-class steakhouse by renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who is also overseeing all the food menus throughout the hotel; and Bliss, New York’s hottest spa.

"Turnberry, a luxury collection resort, opened on July 9 and will proudly host The Open Championship for the fourth time on its renowned Ailsa golf course from July 16 to 19. Located in Ayrshire, Scotland, Turnberry first opened in 1906 and quickly established itself as the premier destination for social and sporting events.

In October of last year, Leisurecorp, a division of Nakheel Leisure, took possession of the famous resort. On November 1, 2008 the hotel closed for the start of a $65 million refurbishment which focused on the iconic resort’s public spaces and 40 of its 211 luxuriously appointed guest rooms.

Ensuring that Turnberry’s historical charm was preserved, Historic Scotland was consulted throughout the restoration of the 103-year-old resort.

Redesigned by acclaimed interior design firm Fox Linton Associates, Turnberry offers guests world class cuisine, a variety of distinguished outdoor activities in addition to golf, and an award winning spa experience.

The two new hotels, both managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., add to the growing number of Starwood operated hotels in the Nakheel Hotels portfolio. Nakheel also owns W New York-Union Square in New York City and is currently developing W Bangkok and W Retreat & Spa-Koh Samui and The Residences at W Koh Samui in Thailand.-TradeArabia News Service