Westin Hotels & Resorts Gains Momentum in India

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc (NYSE: HOT) announces agreements to manage three new Westin hotels in three cities in India. In Hyderabad, the biotechnology hub of India, Westin will open The Westin Hyderabad, Mindspace. The second new addition – The Westin Pune, Koregaon Park - will be in Pune, an emerging destination for banking and financial services. The third hotel – The Westin Kolkata, Rajarhat – will be in Kolkata, the commercial and trading hub of India. The Westin hotels in Hyderabad and Pune are scheduled to open in 2009, while The Westin Kolkata, Rajarhat will open in 2010. India is the fastest growing market in Asia Pacific for international tourist and corporate spending. Westin is well positioned to serve the growing numbers of visitors to India, with three previously announced hotel developments across the country, including hotels in Gurgaon, Sohna and Bangalore. The Westin Hyderabad, Mindspace will invigorate and refresh guests during their stay in the energetic city of Hyderabad, the sixth largest city in India. Featuring 428 rooms, the new Westin will be located near the emerging central business district of Cyderabad-Madhapur, with convenient access to HITEC, India’s most modern venue for exhibitions, conferences and trade shows. The combined hotel and residences will also be just a short ride from the new international airport, expected to open in early 2008. The new property will be the cornerstone of The Mindspace Cyberabad Project, a mixed-use development which will also contain offices and a 700,000 square-foot mega mall and multiplex. In addition to the Westin brand’s full menu of signature services, the hotel will boast four restaurants and bars, 12,000 square feet of meeting and function space, Heavenly Spa by Westin and a business center. Located in the cultural capital of Maharashtra state, The Westin Pune, Koregaon Park will serve the growing number of travelers to a city that is quickly establishing itself as a convention destination and leading center for financial services. A popular site for state-of-the-art information technology campuses, Pune is just a 20 minute flight from the financial capital of Mumbia and a two hour flight from the national capital, New Delhi. The Westin Pune, Koregaon Park will feature 277 guest rooms, including 31 suites, four restaurants and bars, more than 12,000 square feet of meeting and function space, and a business center The new hotel will be part of a mixed-use development project spread over eight acres, offering more than 140,000 square feet of office space in addition to the hotel. The project will be situated close to the center of Pune in Koregaon Park, with convenient access to the airport and numerous high-end commercial and residential developments. Located in a prime spot in Rajarhat, the new central business district of Kolkata city, The hotel will be a key part of an eight-acre, mixed-use development consisting of hotel, offices, residences and retail shops. The Westin hotel will be housed in a tower that will soar more than 1,000 feet into the sky, giving the new development a high degree of visibility. The new Westin will offer 323 guestrooms, including 31 suites, as well as five restaurants and bars, more than 21,000 square feet of meeting space, Heavenly Spa by Westin, an outdoor swimming pool, WestinWORKOUT gym and business center.