WHITE PLAINS, NY – March 8, 2010 – Aloft^® Hotels, the new style-at-a-steal brand from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.^® (NYSE:HOT) that is revolutionizing the select-service hotel category, is cranking up the volume on its music agenda by partnering with one of the year’s hottest live music events, “Live in the Vineyard.”  Aloft’s title sponsorship of “Live in the Vineyard,” a twice-yearly private “once-in-a-lifetime” live music showcase featuring on-the-verge artists and big name bands alike, also establishes Aloft hotels as the venues for “Live in the Vineyard” artists who will rock it up close and personal with hotel guests and local tastemakers through a series of live acoustic sets at Aloft properties across the country throughout the year.

“At Aloft we’re always looking for what’s next and our ‘Live in the Vineyard’ partnership gives our guests exceptional behind-the-scenes access to ‘the next’ in music which is a vital part of the Aloft experience,” said Brian McGuinness, Starwood’s Senior Vice President, Specialty Select Brands.

Currently going in to its third year, “Live in the Vineyard” (www.liveinthevineyard.com) is the brainchild of music industry veterans Bobbii Hach-Jacobs and Claire Parr.  It is an intimate grassroots music festival held at a number of boutique wineries in California’s Napa Valley every April and November.  Acts currently confirmed to take the stage at the upcoming April 2010 “Live in the Vineyard” event include Train, Melissa Etheridge, Back Street Boys, Macy Gray, Tonic and Ryan Star among others.

Tickets for the exclusive events cannot be purchased – they must be won through radio station promotions and online contests and through special Aloft Hotels promotions, including a giveaway with Facebook at www.facebook.com\alofthotels.

In addition to the April and November festivals, Aloft will host “Live at Aloft Hotels” shows featuring “Live in the Vineyard” acts at several hotels, including performances from Five for Fighting at Aloft Charlotte Uptown at the Epicenter on March 11^th, Ryan Star at Aloft Rogers-Bentonville on March 12^th, Emerson Hart, lead singer of Tonic, at Aloft Nashville Cool Springs on March 24^th and Aloft Birmingham Soho Square on March 25^th, and Diane Birch at Aloft Houston by the Galleria on April 29^th.  Go to www.liveatalofthotels.com for frequent updates on confirmed shows at Aloft hotels.

About Aloft Hotels
Created to shake up the staid, traditional select service segment of the hotel industry, the Aloft brand delivers style at a steal with urban-influenced, modern, open and vibrant design - and a social guest experience - at an affordable price point.  In the same way that W Hotels broke through the clutter of conformity in the upscale hotel arena a decade ago, Aloft is shaking up the industry for the next generation of traveler. Aloft hotels are geared toward savvy, design-conscious consumers who grew up with the democratization of design. With 40 hotels open in the 18 months since Aloft first arrived on the scene and 10 more opening in 2010, Aloft can be found everywhere from Abu Dhabi and Baltimore to Dallas and Beijing and everywhere in between.  For more information, please visit www.alofthotels.com.

Aloft Hotels, like all brands within Starwood’s 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. To learn more, please visit www.spg.com.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 992 properties in nearly 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.

WHITE PLAINS, NY – March 04, 2010 – Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) announced today that the company has named its Chief Financial Officer, Vasant Prabhu, Vice Chairman, in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the company.  Starwood’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Frits van Paasschen made the announcement following the company’s recent Board of Directors meeting.

“Vasant’s leadership and strategic vision were in sharp relief in 2009 as Starwood navigated the toughest year our industry has endured since the Great Depression,” said van Paasschen.  “His efforts and collaboration ensured that Starwood did not just survive the global economic crisis, but actually emerged stronger, with our financial house in order, well poised to take advantage of opportunities we expect will arise.”

According to van Paasschen, the company significantly cut costs in 2009, raised over $1.6 billion in cash from a broad range of transactions, reduced its debt by over $1 billion and paid down debt maturities from 2010 through 2013.

Prabhu, whose new title is Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer, will continue to report to van Paasschen.  In his new role, he is not a member of the Company’s Board of Directors.

Prabhu, 50, joined Starwood in 2003.  Prior to joining Starwood, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Safeway Inc., one of North America’s largest food retailers.  He also served as President of Information and Media Group for The McGraw Hill Companies and Senior Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer for Pepsi Cola International where he was responsible for the company’s franchise and owned operations in more than 100 countries.

Prabhu holds an M.B.A. in Marketing and Finance from the University of Chicago and a B.S. in Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay, India.   He and his family reside in Greenwich, Connecticut.


About Starwood Hotels & Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 960 properties in approximately 97 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 AloftSM, and ElementSM.  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.