W to Come to Thailand

W Hotels has announced plans for a 70-villa property that will open in Koh Samui late in 2008. The W Retreat & Residences-Koh Samui will be the brand's third retreat; it comes on the heels of the W Maldives, which opened in September, and the W Vieques, which will open late next year. W's parent, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, has tapped Amburaya Resorts to manage the new Koh Samui hotel. The hotel is being built on a 26-acre site on Maenam Beach; each villa will measure about 1,720 square feet. The property also will include a signature restaurant, a spa, a pool bar and a signature W Living Room and lounge. Amburaya also owns the one-year-old Sheraton property in Pattaya.