Starwood Vacation Ownership Begins Construction

on The Westin Los Cabos Ocean Villas

April 18th 2007

     

    WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.─ Starwood Vacation Ownership, a division of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT), announced today that it has broken ground on its second Westin-branded vacation ownership resort in Mexico. The Westin Los Cabos Ocean Villas is the first vacation ownership resort in Los Cabos, Mexico to be developed by a major U.S.-based lodging company.
 

     

    The Westin Los Cabos Ocean Villas will feature 64 two-bedroom lock-off villas and boast Westin’s signature amenities and services that help guests feel at their best, including pools, a restaurant, spa and WestinWORKOUT® Powered by Reebok fitness facility. Villas will feature gourmet kitchens with granite countertops, separate living and dining areas, balconies overlooking the Sea of Cortez, separate bedrooms featuring the renowned Westin Heavenly Bed® and flat screen televisions in the bedrooms and living room area.
 

     

    “We are excited to begin construction on this resort and introduce another Westin Vacation Ownership product in Mexico offering renewal and relaxation to our guests. The location is one of the most beautiful in Los Cabos and we are eager to continue our expansion,” said Sergio Rivera, president of real estate development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Worldwide, Inc.

    Starwood Vacation Ownership has two other resorts under development in Mexico including The Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort in Cancun, which is currently under construction and will include 295 two-bedroom lock-off villas. In addition, the St. Regis Residence Club, Punta Mita is expected to begin construction later this year on roughly 40 free-standing villas dramatically set on the Pacific Ocean.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

    Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc® is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 870 properties in more than 100 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood® Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, Sheraton®, Westin®, Four Points® by Sheraton, W®, Le Méridien® and the recently announced Aloft(SM) and Element Hotels(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.

(Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and involve risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made. These risks and uncertainties are presented in detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained or that results and events will not materially differ. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.)