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Starwood Convention Collection Explains True Continuity

Watch the newly released video clip

Jul 19, 2011
http://www.starwoodpromos.com/conventioncollection/The Starwood Convention Collection promises true continuity between large, multi-city, multi-property meeting programs and has just released a video to further explain this offering. In addition to implementing an industry leading Convention Service Consultant, the planner�s personal contact across their many meetings, the Starwood Convention Collection outlines its value proposition and includes remarks direct from meeting planners. Watch now at http://www.starwoodpromos.com/conventioncollection/.

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SHERATON CELEBRATES THE CULMINATION OF $6 BILLION GLOBAL REVITALIZATION

70,000 New Guestrooms, 300 New Lobbies and 100,000 New Beds Part of Multi-Billion Makeover

Oct 23, 2009White Plains, NY – September 30, 2009 – As part of a three-year global overhaul, Sheraton has invested more than $4 billion in new hotels, renovations and signature brand initiatives in North America and another $2 billion in new hotels overseas. Highlights include:

• 70,000 new or newly renovated guestrooms -- 50,000 in North America alone
  
• More than 300 new lobbies featuring the brand’s innovative Link@SheratonSM experienced with Microsoft®
  
• More than 100,000 brand new Sheraton Sweet Sleeper all-white, high thread count beds in 211 hotels and 83,000 guestrooms worldwide
  
• 98 renovated properties, 12 in the Starwood Convention Collection network including: Sheraton Birmingham, Sheraton Boston, Sheraton Chicago, Sheraton Dallas, Sheraton Denver Downtown, Sheraton New York, Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, Sheraton Puerto Rico Convention Center, Sheraton San Diego, Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers, Sheraton Centre Toronto, and Sheraton Waikiki.
  

Global Powerhouse Boasts Highest Brand Awareness in the Industry
As Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc’s (NYSE:HOT) largest and most global brand, Sheraton boasts more than 400 hotels in 70 countries with a global brand awareness among business travelers at 92%, the highest global awareness of any hotel brand in the world. Making up more than 44% of Starwood’s total rooms, Sheraton is a key focus for Starwood, especially as the company aggressively prepares to own the upswing as the economy recovers. As yesterday’s staycations, canceled meetings and postponed business trips become tomorrow’s pent up demand, travelers will return to the road and find the newest portfolio in the Sheraton brand’s history. In fact, 60% of Starwood properties - including all nine brands - will be brand new or freshly renovated by the end of 2009.

“We have spent the last few years renovating and rebuilding one of the hotel industry’s most iconic brands and as the economy begins to recover Sheraton is in an enviable position, poised to come out of the gate fast and leverage our new flagship hotels, renovated properties and signature brand offerings,” said Frits van Paasschen, Starwood CEO. “When travelers return to the road en masse, Sheraton will be ready.”

Revitalization Plan already Bearing Fruit as Guest Satisfaction Scores Reach Historic Highs
Sheraton Hotel’s efforts to revitalize the brand kicked off in 2007, and as the impact of these efforts take hold in hotels worldwide, the brand is beginning to reap rewards and measurable success, including:

• Sheraton Guest Satisfaction scores are the highest in its history, with overall satisfaction at 8.12 out of 10, year-to-date, surpassing the brand’s own goal. Likelihood to return to the brand has increased from 7.89 to 8.78 and Meeting Planner Satisfaction scores are also at an all time high.
  
• Sheraton has opened 57 new hotels worldwide since 2007 with 10 more slated to open by the end of the year -- more than any other Starwood brand
  
• In addition, Sheraton has removed more than 38 hotels worldwide including 24 in North America that could not meet the brand’s new standards. 4 more will exit the brand by the end of the year.
  
• Over the next three months, Sheraton will mark the completion of a $500 million investment in renovations to existing properties, including multi-million dollar efforts at the Sheraton Denver, Sheraton Dallas and Sheraton Montreal, as well as the highly-anticipated November opening of Sheraton Puerto Rico Convention Center Hotel & Casino, a $210 million, 503-room property that will be the first new full-service hotel and casino built in San Juan in more than 10 years.
  

Seeing is Believing -- Thousands of Travel Pros to Attend Sheraton Open House Events
In addition to giving away thousands of room nights to showcase its recently renovated and new properties, the brand will host a three-day open house for meeting planners, corporate travel buyers, social event planners and other travel influencers, September 29-October 1. The event will spotlight a selection of Sheraton Hotels “best in class” hotels, including: Le Centre Sheraton in Montreal, Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, Sheraton Birmingham Hotel, Sheraton Dallas Hotel, Sheraton Denver Hotel, Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers and Sheraton Waikiki Hotel.

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, like all brands within Starwood’s robust portfolio, is proud to offer the Starwood Preferred Guest® program, which made headlines when it launched in 1999 with a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates on Free Night Awards. SPG® offers members the ability to redeem awards at more resorts, more luxury properties, more European hotels and more golf properties than any other hotel program.

About Sheraton Hotels & Resorts
Sheraton helps guests make connections at more than 400 hotels in 75 countries around the world. It is owned by and is the largest and most global brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 966 properties in 100 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft®, and Element SM. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

Contacts:
Nadeen Ayala
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
914-640-8259

Julie Horn
Dan Klores Communications
212-981-5221

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