WHITE PLAINS, NY – December 16, 2008 – Guests of Sheraton Hotels & Resorts can now train like champions and stay fit on the road through an exclusive partnership with Core Performance, a training and lifestyle brand built by the experts who train professional athletes in every major sport.  The global hotel leader today announced the launch of a revolutionary new health and fitness program:  “Sheraton Fitness, Programmed by Core Performance.”  This alliance marks the first time that Core Performance is partnering with a hotel company to create customized training and nutrition programs for travelers.  Sheraton Fitness is one component of a comprehensive effort to revitalize the Sheraton brand and differentiate the guest experience currently underway at Sheraton’s 406 hotels across 71 countries. 

Core Performance designed a holistic program exclusively for Sheraton guests, which is derived from the same training methodology used at Athletes’ Performance, the preferred and premier place for professional athletes to train. The program helps travelers train and eat healthy, as well as refresh, recharge and refocus their minds and bodies.  So whether you work out every day or just want to take advantage of the nutrition programs and health tips, Sheraton Fitness will help guests feel and perform better.  Sheraton Fitness recently launched at select U.S.properties including the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, Sheraton Seattle, Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf and Sheraton St. Paul Woodbury and will continue to roll out worldwide throughout 2009.

“The Core Performance methodology has been used to train many of the world’s top athletes and Sheraton is proud to partner with an organization that can bring this level of world-class fitness and health expertise to our guests in a customized manner,” said Brian Povinelli, VP Brand Management, Sheraton Hotels.  “Fitness and travel go hand in hand and our guests have told us that working out is a priority when they travel.  Our unprecedented partnership with Core Performance offers an array of programs and services to help guests enhance their overall fitness regimen and performance before, during and after their stay.” 

Guests will experience the holistic Sheraton Fitness program through multiple touch-points during their stay:

• First Class Gyms Designed for the Top Performers in Life:  Core Performance has developed a state-of-the-art gym experience for Sheraton guests, influenced by Athletes’ Performance, trainers of the top performers in sport.  Since travelers have different needs when they are on the road, the new fitness centers feature time-efficient training programs designed by Core Performance to work with busy travel schedules.  The 20- to 30- minute “themed” workouts -- including Jet Lag Buster (for long travel days), Meeting Manager (the conclusion of the business day) and Road Warrior (for the incessant traveler) – are tailored to the Sheraton guest and outlined in explicit detail through wall signage in the fitness centers.  Want to take the workout on the road with you?  Guests can download workout routines at Sheratonfitness.com. 
• Healthy Dining:  Core Performance nutritionists worked with Sheraton to create healthier dining options for both in-room dining menus and hotel restaurants.  Among the options, denoted on the menus as “Core Performance Endorsed,” are Scrambled Egg White and Turkey Wrap, Nicoise Salad and Portobello Burger.
• Guest Room Workouts:  Guests can also train like a pro in the privacy of their room.  Guests can access four 30-minute Video On Demand workouts at no charge at most properties and get nutritional or wellness tips through Starwood’s internal channel, Starwood Preferred Guest TV.  Guests can also order a complimentary “workout in a bag” -- including workout cards, workout mat, foam rolls, stretch rope and massage stick -- to be delivered to their room. The kit includes customized Core Performance training programs to be completed in the privacy of the guestroom using the equipment provided in the bag.
• Online Training, After Check-Out:  Guests can access Sheraton Fitness online at Sheratonfitness.com, which features online training programs created by Core Performance and health/nutrition tips. This allows guests to follow the Core Performance programs both at home and on the road – eliminating any disruption to their fitness regimen.

“We’re excited to partner with Sheraton to develop a unique, co-branded program that touches multiple elements of a guest’s lifestyle, both in and out of the hotel, and helps them compete in the game of life,” said Mark Verstegen, Founder and Chairman of Core Performance and Athletes’ Performance.  “Travel takes its toll on all of us and we are dedicated to working with Sheraton to offer innovative solutions that will enhance the overall health of guests.”

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.

Core Performance (www.coreperformance.com) stands alone in providing empowering solutions to help individuals perform at their highest level.  For people who want a complete game plan to feel better and have more energy for an active lifestyle, Core Performance provides the tools and methods to lead a healthier, more productive life.  Core Performance programs are derived from the methodology used to train elite athletes at Athletes’ Performance, where they are developed, tested, and proven every day by the top minds in the field as they train the top champions in sport.

Mark Verstegen created Athletes’ Performance in 1999 as a refuge for elite athletes. Today, Athletes' Performance is recognized as a worldwide industry leader in training elite athletes and is headquartered in Tempe, AZ with additional world-class training facilities at The Home Depot Center, outside of Los Angeles, CA and at The Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Florida.  The Athletes’ Performance training system has helped to produce the top performers in sport, including:  Green Jacket Winners, Grand Slam Titles, World Series Winners, Stanley Cup Champions, Super Bowl and NBA Champions, Olympic Gold Medalists and All-Stars from every major sport.

For more information on Core Performance, including its integrated online performance training and nutrition programs, visit www.coreperformance.com.  For more information on Athletes’ Performance, visit www.athletesperformance.com.