Press Room

The Us Grant, San Diego's Landmark Hotel To Reopen In November 2006

White Plains, NY – March 1, 2006 – Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announced a November 1, 2006 reopening of THE US GRANT in San Diego. The hotel will be managed by Starwood's Luxury Collection brand and is owned by the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. The grand reopening will follow an extensive renovation totaling $52 million.

THE US GRANT opened in 1910 and was built by Ulysses S. Grant Jr. to honor his Civil War hero father, closed in January 2005 to begin renovations. The 272-room hotel will debut in November 1, 2006 as a member of Starwood's prestigious Luxury Collection, comprised of over 75 one-of-a-kind properties across the globe.

"We are delighted to welcome THE US GRANT to the Luxury Collection. The hotel's historical significance, indigenous qualities and sheer beauty make it a perfect fit within the brand, beautifully complimenting a portfolio which includes The Gritti Palace in Venice, The Princeville in Hawaii and the Hotel Imperial in Vienna," commented Kerry Hatch, President of the Luxury Collection.

THE DESIGN: An internationally renowned team of interior designers, architects and craftsman has been assembled for the project. The 11-story hotel is being enhanced to emphasize its circa 1910 origins, including the addition of wrought iron exterior lights, stunning third floor rooftop gardens and the restoration of the original grand entrance on Fourth Avenue. Guests will arrive through a travertine-lined foyer to a Grand Lobby that promises to be as lively as it is exquisite.  THE US GRANT'S classical European and Beaux Arts interior and exterior designs, which features more than two dozen types of stone and marble, gold leaf, brass work and exotic woods, will be enhanced with striking contemporary accents and extensive commissioned art.

GUEST ROOMS & SUITES: Nine-foot ceilings, extensive crown molding, imported custom wool carpets, and rich white-on-white Italian linens are featured in each room. Native American art decorates each foyer and bath and one-of-a-kind works by noted French artist, Yves Clement, have been blended into the wall moldings above each bed. Custom designed Empire style influenced furnishings are complimented by modern technology with 32" flat screen plasma TV's, cordless phones and WiFi seamlessly incorporated into each room. Bathroom appointments include stone counter vanities, basin sinks and spacious marble showers.

Guestrooms on the 11th floor and specific suites have been specially designed to accommodate unique in-room Spa Services.  The hotel will also have the city's only custom-designed Meeting Planner Suites, with separate sleeping and business accommodations, including a conference table and technical enhancements.  THE US GRANT'S 272 rooms include 45 suites, three of which will be of true Presidential caliber, each carefully designed to accommodate and service the current prerequisites of the Secret Service.

EVENT SPACE: The 35,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space in is also undergoing state-of-the-art enhancements. The premier address for social and business gatherings, the Hotel boast's a 9,300 square foot Presidential Ballroom with a built-in 1,000 square foot theatrical stage. 22 separate event rooms will all include state-of the art technology amidst architecturally and artistically distinctive space. San Diegans' preferred destination for weddings and social galas for many decades, THE US GRANT will return this fall as the ultimate location for social celebrations and important business gatherings.

AMENITIES: 24-hour room service; spa guest rooms, meeting planner suites, state-of-the-art business and fitness centers; on-site audio visual professionals; world-class concierge service, conference and wedding consultants; airport shuttle and valet parking among others.

THE LOCATION: Ideally situated in the heart of San Diego, America's seventh largest city, THE US GRANT is located at 326 Broadway, at the apex of the Horton Plaza shopping and entertainment complex, the Gaslamp Quarter, the financial and theater districts and the San Diego Convention Center. Minutes away are all of Diego's signature destinations including access to San Diego International Airport, cruise ship terminal, Amtrak's Santa Fe depot, Balboa Park and the world famous San Diego Zoo.

OWNERSHIP: THE US GRANT was purchased in December 2003 for $45 million by the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, whose ancestors originally settled on the land that now includes downtown San Diego. Sycuan's purchase of the hotel represents an ancestral tribute to their legacy as it was President Ulysses S. Grant, who in 1875 passed an Executive Order setting aside 640 acres of land in Dehesa Valley in East County for the Kumeyaay Tribes and granted them sovereignty. In late 2005, Sycuan finalized the agreement for Starwood Hotels & Resorts to assume management of the property under its Luxury Collection brand.

"Sycuan's commitment to restoring THE US GRANT to its position as a world-class hotel will be of great importance to the hospitality industry, but equally significant will be its cultural contribution to San Diego and the city's many visitors from around the world," explains Mark Dibella, Director of Sales & Marketing for the hotel.

For more information please visit www.usgrant.net.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 850 properties in more than 95 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). 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 .