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Press Release Source: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Four Points by Sheraton Makes Entry in Thailand and Expands Brand Growth in Resort Market
Tuesday July 13, 12:55 pm ET
Four Points by Sheraton Patong Set to Open Next Year in Beach Resort Area of Phuket

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 13, 2004--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc (NYSE: HOT - News) and Grande Asset Development Public Company Limited announced an agreement for Starwood to manage a new Four Points by Sheraton Patong to be built in Phuket, Thailand scheduled to open in July 2005. This will mark Four Points by Sheraton's entry into the resort market in Asia-Pacific.

The Four Points by Sheraton Patong will be ideally located in the Patong, the downtown hub of Phuket, Thailand's largest island. This section is also known as the most popular beach area on the island, featuring a wide variety of beach and recreational activities. The hotel will be situated within Jungceylon Center, a comprehensive lifestyle center offering numerous shopping, dining and entertainment facilities. The resort will feature 215 rooms, three dining outlets, sports and recreational facilities and a business center. The resort also offers approximately 1,600 square-feet of meeting and function space, suitable for small-sized meetings or group activities.

"Four Points by Sheraton Patong will demonstrate a new direction for the brand in terms of our expansion in Asia and into resort and leisure market destinations," said Miguel Ko, President, Asia Pacific, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. "Phuket's tradition and reputation as a tropical paradise island and leisure playground of Thailand is well-known to travelers not only in Asia but around the world. We are delighted to be able to offer visitors a range of high quality Starwood hotels and resorts throughout Thailand, a land of cultural attractions, great cuisine and shopping, beautiful beaches and warm, friendly people who embody the truest sense of hospitality," said Ko.

As Thailand's largest island, Phuket nestles by the balmy Andaman Sea on the southern coastline of Thailand. The island is blessed with magnificent coves and bays, palm-fringed pure white beaches, sparkling island-dotted seas, excellent seafood, delightful turn-of-the-century Sino-Portuguese architecture as well as numerous sporting and leisure opportunities.

Starwood expanded its portfolio in Thailand significantly over the last year with the addition of Sheraton Krabi Resort and The Westin Grande Sukhumvit in Bangkok. Starwood also recently signed a new Sheraton resort in Thailand's "royal paradise" beach resort of Hua Hin that will open in September 2005. Four Points by Sheraton made its debut in Asia-Pacific with the opening of Four Points by Sheraton Darling Harbour in Sydney in March 2000. Other Four Points by Sheraton hotels in Asia-Pacific are located in Geelong and Port Macquarie in Australia, and in Chung Ho, Taiwan. The first Four Points by Sheraton hotel in China will open in Shenzhen in September 2004.

Four Points by Sheraton, with 136 properties in 16 countries, is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and is consistently rated as a top performer in the mid-priced category by Business Travel News' "Annual U.S. Hotel Chain Survey." Four Points by Sheraton hotels are located at airports, in mid-sized cities, leisure destinations, and business and commercial centers. Our hotels cater to business and leisure travelers as well as meeting planners seeking a quality, mid-priced and value-oriented product.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: HOT - News) is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 740 properties in more than 80 countries and 105,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. With internationally renowned brands, Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts including: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, W brands, as well as Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwood.com

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Contact:

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Mark Ricci, 914-640-8496
E-mail: [email protected]
or
Hwee Peng Yeo, (65) 6335 4837
Fax: (65) 6335 4820
Email: [email protected]


Source: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.