Former W Hotel Transitions to the Hotel New Orleans Downtown as Part of $29M Renovation

Ultimate Conversion to Le Meridien New Orleans Slated for Winter 2014 Debut

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. July 16, 2014

NEW ORLEANS - July 16, 2014 - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today unveiled designs for Le Meridien New Orleans, a milestone as the French-born brand prepares to return to the Crescent City by end of year. As part of the strategic conversion plan of the former W New Orleans, the property has now transitioned to the Hotel New Orleans Downtown for the remainder of its $29 million renovation. Managed by Starwood Hotels, the Hotel New Orleans Downtown will remain open and fully operational as well as a member of the Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty program until Le Meridien debuts this winter.

"Since acquiring Le Meridien in 2005, we have fully transformed the brand into a contemporary lifestyle experience dedicated to unlocking the destination through culture, cuisine and the arts," said Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader, Le Meridien and Westin Hotels. "Simultaneously, we have focused on developing a consistent portfolio through new openings and full-scale renovations globally, and we look forward to Le Meridien returning to New Orleans with a chic, cultured product designed for the creative and curious minded traveler."

Le Meridien New Orleans will feature 410 fully renovated guestrooms and corridors as well as a fully redesigned lobby experience, incorporating the signature Le Meridien Hub, a new destination restaurant and bar, and re-concepted second floor flexible meeting space. The hotel will continue to feature premium amenities such as the modern fitness facility, rooftop pool, and more than 15,000 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting and event space.

Designed by New York-based Meyer Davis, the inspiration for the hotel's design incorporates the mid-century aesthetic of Le Meridien layered with contextual influences from the city of New Orleans. Design elements and patterns within the hotel draw from the architectural features of the city, including the iconic wrought iron work seen throughout the Big Easy. Cultural references from the Mardi Gras parade route to quotes from one of the city's most famous sons - Louis Armstrong - layer the design with a lens that is both uniquely Le Meridien and specific to New Orleans.

Wall coverings along the guestroom corridors have been inspired by the cartography of New Orleans with hidden quotes about the city incorporated into the custom pattern. As one moves from the corridor into the guestroom, the entry is wrapped in a graphic design that represents crowd densities along the Mardi Gras route. This theme of subtle nuances continues throughout the design of the guestroom, creating a unique design for Le Meridien New Orleans. A drafting height desk anchors one side of the room- allowing guests to work as a creative designer works - while a soaring headboard draws from the profiles of moldings found throughout the city. The guestrooms' cool neutral tones with subtle touches of accent colors create a calm reprieve from the bustling city beyond.

Le Meridien New Orleans will feature the signature Le Meridien Hub™, which reinterprets the traditional lobby into a social gathering place and further builds on the brand's award-winning arrival experience and coffee culture. Le Meridien arrival consists of four elements: large-scale artwork in high impact areas; a sensory experience, illustrated through Le Meridien signature scent, sound and use of light; UNLOCK ART™ programme, featuring artist designed key card collections that offer access to Le Meridien affiliated contemporary cultural centers in the city; and a 24-hour curated soundtrack by French Bossa Nova band Nouvelle Vague. The Hub features the signature Master Barista, a recently launched initiative to meet the growing demands of coffee lovers at every Le Meridien hotel worldwide. Master Baristas lead coffee-related initiatives at each hotel, serve as a coffee cultural ambassador, and maintain knowledge of current coffee trends within the destination.

Located on Poydras Street, the hotel is adjacent to the Arts District and just a few blocks from the jazz clubs, restaurants and night clubs of the world-famous French Quarter. Nearby attractions include Harrah's Casino, the Warehouse District, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans Museum of Art, Riverwalk Shopping and the French Market.

About Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts

Le Meridien , the Paris-born hotel brand currently represented by nearly 100 properties in more than 40 countries, was acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) in November 2005. With more than 80 of its properties located in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Le Meridien provided a strong international complement to Starwood's then primarily North American holdings at the time of purchase. Since then, Le Meridien has gone through a brand re-launch, which included a large scale hotels product consolidation and redefined brand strategy. Through creation of the LM100 artist community, Le Meridien has transformed numerous guest touch points, thus bringing unique, interactive and curated experiences to its guests. Plans call for dynamic expansion of Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts within the next five years, concentrating on markets in Asia-Pacific and the Americas. Le Meridien recently opened new hotels in Tampa (Florida, USA), Cairo, Bali, Atlanta, Dallas, Istanbul, Oran (Algeria), Zhengzhou (China), Arlington (Virginia, USA) and Santa Monica, (California, USA), and will open in the next 12 months in Bangkok, Chicago, New Orleans, Mahabaleshwar (India), Gandhinagar (India), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Charlotte (North Carolina, USA) and Indianapolis (Indiana, USA). For more information, please visit www.leMeridien .com or www.facebook.com/leMeridien . Follow @LeMeridien Hotels on Instagram and Twitter.