The Sheraton Rio Hotel & Resort, a beachfront hotel in Rio de Janeiro, completed the first phase of a two-year, $50 million renovation.
The hotel has a newly designed lobby, the first Sheraton Shine Spa in Latin America and a renovated fitness center. New restaurants include L'Etoile, the hotel's fine-dining restaurant on the 26th floor, headed by French chef and restaurateur Jean-Paul Bondoux.
The 538 guestrooms, including 77 suites, also were redone.
The second phase of the renovations begins this fall with targeted completion in 2015. There will be a redo of the resort's public spaces, including the pool, outdoor restaurants and bars.
Starwood currently operates more than 30 Sheraton hotels in Latin America, with two more opening in Bolivia and Colombia in the next two years and the Reserva do Paiva Hotel near Recife, Brazil, opening later this month.