NEW YORK – March 25, 2009 – Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announced plans to relocate its Manhattan-based luxury and design-led brands from Chelsea to a new headquarters space downtown on Varick Street, where SoHo and Tribeca meet.  Global marketing, brand management and design teams for W Hotels, Le Méridien, St. Regis and The Luxury Collection will join Starwood’s Bliss and Remède Spa teams in a redesigned space meant to inspire creativity and innovation and serve as a design, branding and retail think tank.  

“This move is illustrative of Starwood’s commitment to design, innovation and brand building,” said Phil McAveety, Chief Brand Officer, Starwood Hotels & Resorts.  “As we continue to attract and inspire the best and the brightest creative talent, we look forward to being  part of a vibrant community that appreciates, cultivates and inspires our brands’ passion points including fashion, entertainment, art and design.”  

VM Design Studio, a New York-based collective of renowned architects and designers, will lead the renovation of Bliss and Remède Spa’s existing 20,000 square foot office space located at 75 Varick Street.  When the redesign is completed in September, 2009, Starwood will unveil a modern office space for 150 associates, which will also serve as showcase space to immerse owners, developers, designers and creative agencies in Starwood’s signature luxury and lifestyle brands, which continue to meaningfully grow around the world. 

VM Design Studio’s design portfolio includes work on the world headquarters of Pixar Animation Studios in California and the West Elm corporate headquarters in New York, in addition to several St. Regis properties, including four new St. Regis hotels currently under construction in Hawaii, The Bahamas, Puerto Rico and Deer Valley, Utah.

“In addition to establishing a creative hub, we are excited to merge space with our Bliss and Remède Spa brands which work closely with our brands to develop signature spas and bath amenities in our hotels around the globe,” said McAveety.   “We are, of course, sensitive to the current economic environment.  By consolidating the two offices we will drive efficiencies which will offset the investment needed to create this new brand and design space.”

While the space is under construction, the design, marketing and brand management teams for these brands will temporarily move from their current space in West Chelsea’s Starrett-Lehigh Building to Starwood’s global corporate headquarters in White Plains, NY. 

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 940 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 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.