WHITE PLAINS, NY - June 17, 2008– Forget the filing and faxing, the Four Points by Sheraton’s First Ever Best Brews intern is going to spend his summer tasting and toasting!  Four Points by Sheraton Hotels today announced Dan Suarez as the lucky lager who snagged “the” summer dream job – learning about beer and helping Four Points hotels cultivate their Best Brews offerings.  It was a little more than a year ago when Four Points by Sheraton appointed the world’s first-ever Chief Beer Officer (CBO), Scott Kerkmans to lead their signature Best Brews Program. Now, Four Points continues to champion the public’s passion for beer by appointing the first ever Best Brews Intern.  Almost 2,000 suds lovers from around the globe applied, ten submitted videos, six brew novices were interviewed and more than 100,000 ale aficionados from around the world helped narrow down the choice by voting for their favorite brewmeister.  In keeping with Four Points’ commitment to spreading the gospel of life’s Simple Pleasures^SM, Dan will help develop in-hotel beer “happy hours” for Four Points hotels, work closely with local breweries and conduct beer trend research.  He will also help promote Four Points Best Brews’ program at happy hours and on bar stools across the country.

“We are proud to welcome Dan to the Four Points’ team,” said Sandy “Suds” Swider, Vice President, Four Points by Sheraton Hotels.  “We took our search for our Best Brews Intern very seriously and Dan’s passion for food, beer and travel really struck a chord with our team.  His drive and excitement around learning more about the beer and hotel industry was very impressive.”   

This past March Four Points by Sheraton placed a want ad in the Wall Street Journal searching for a beer lover who was truly passionate about the craft to assist their Chief Beer Officer on Four Points Best Brews program.  After combing through thousands of applications and video submissions from 51 countries Four Points executives interviewed and selected their final four candidates. They then looked to the public for help in narrowing down the choice between an ivy leaguer, an Aussie mate, a beer lover from a sommelier family and a cheesemonger from Brooklyn.  In the end, Dan Suarez was chosen as the most passionate lager lover among the four.

Cheesemonger and Foodie Reporting for Duty
Dan Suarez may have started out as an A&R Scout for Columbia records, but these days he’s following his true passion of the foodie and beer loving lifestyle.  Spending his summers on his family’s farm in Ecuador, Dan has always had a love of food and was taught how to milk the goats and cows that would give him the ingredients to make homemade mozzarella. He has now made his professional foray into the cheese world with a position at New York City’s dairy Mecca, Murray’s Cheese Shop. Dan’s passion for beer has led him to start home brewing his own beer to pair with the countless cheeses that passed through Murray’s doors.

"This is a dream come true!  I am very excited to spend the summer working closely with the Four Points CBO, try some fun new things with beer and learn about the Best Brews program,” said Suarez.  It is going to be a great summer."

Dan will spend his summer planning “Brew Hours” for hotels to help educate guests on the different types of craft beers as well as talking to local breweries across the country. He will also work with Kerkmans, the Four Points CBO, on trends in the craft industry and learning more about business end of tapping your favorite ale.

Best Brews
Four Points by Sheraton offers a wide selection of brews featuring imports and North American craft beers, each chosen for their unique flavors, popularity and quality ingredients. Through Best Brews, each participating Four Points hotel around the world provides a selection of local, regional and imported craft beers from the extensive list of almost 300 available brews in bottles, and on tap.  Participating properties offer a minimum of four draught beers and a selection of up to 20 bottled beers, including imports representing Belgium, Germany, England and the Czech Republic, as well as regional craft beers. 

True to its dedication to uncomplicated comfort, Four Points makes choosing the best brew as easy as pie.  All hotel beer selections are broken down by style, character and body, so guests can easily identify the perfect brew for their taste.  Can’t decide?  Beer sampler “flights” with four 4oz pours of draught beer with story cards make it easy to sample the best brews on tap while learning about the art of the pour.

For additional information on Best Brews and Four Points by Sheraton, including room rates and availability, please visit www.fourpoints.com/cbo.

Four Points by Sheraton, with more than 130 properties in 22 countries, offers the self-sufficient traveler a new kind of style and comfort combined with a spirited "can-do" service -- all at an honest value.  Four Points by Sheraton hotels are located in easy-to-reach areas – close to major airports, suburban centers, urban hot spots and resort and vacation destinations. Four Points’ Simple Pleasures^SM program offers little indulgences such as tasty pie, a great cup of coffee and premium craft beers from around the world. It’s those little extras that score big points with Four Points by Sheraton customers. 

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 900 properties in more than 100 countries and 155,000 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^SM, 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.