Luxury Hotels Open Sites in Vegas, Spain

LAS VEGAS (TheStreet) -- Even though consumers are traveling less and hotel vacancies are piling up, companies like Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide(HOT Quote) and MGM Mirage(HOT Quote) plan to open new sites this fall.

Planned at the height of the real estate boom, many of these new hotels will open in cities hit hard by the housing downturn. In some cases, projects like MGM's CityCenter in Las Vegas have been scaled back in reaction to the struggling economy.

Waterfront pool terrace at Starwood's new W Hotel Barcelona.

W Barcelona: One of the most ambitious openings comes from Starwood's W Hotels, which will soon unveil the W Barcelona, its first outpost in Western Europe. The 26-story property sits at the tip of the city's port harbor, within walking distance of the city's Gothic District and La Barceloneta waterfront. Its sail-shape design, created by architect Ricardo Bofill, is already part of the city's skyline.

The W Barcelona will have 437 guest rooms featuring platform beds and glassy design elements. Visitors will be able to enjoy views of the city from the hotel's rooftop bar and relax in its infinity pool. The hotel will be home to Spain's first Bliss Spa.

W Hotels also plans to open sites in Boston, Los Angeles and Puerto Rico later this year.

Mandarin Oriental: The opening of MGM's CityCenter, a 76-acre commercial and residential development on the Las Vegas strip, probably couldn't happen at worse time. The site, expected to open in December, will be home to the Aria Resort & Casino as well as a new Mandarin Oriental Hotel.