Starwood and its Ownership Groups to Renovate 13 Le Meridien Hotels in Middle East and Africa

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. March 28, 2013

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - March 28, 2013 - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced a significant commitment to its Le Meridien hotels in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region through a comprehensive renovation strategy. Le Meridien and its ownership groups will invest more than $200 million in the renovations of 13 hotels and resorts in the MEA region over the next 3 years. The French-born brand has had a major presence in emerging Middle Eastern and African markets for more than 30 years, and as this region continues to evolve as an international business and leisure travel destination, Le Meridien has developed a focused approach to ensuring its global portfolio continues to meet high brand standards.

“Since acquiring Le Meridien in 2005, Starwood and its hotel ownership groups have made a tremendous effort to enhance and create a consistent portfolio around the world,” said Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader, Le Meridien and Westin. “Le Meridien now boasts the best performance measures in the brand's history, and our focused efforts on the Middle East and Africa hotels will only help ensure Le Meridien maintains its best portfolio ever.”

Le Meridien recently announced 10 new hotel openings over the next year, an unprecedented number for the brand, and as the European-rooted brand continues to grow globally, the consistency of its portfolio remains a key priority. The 13 Le Meridien hotels and resorts completing or currently undergoing renovations include:

Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort (Fujairah, United Arab Emirates)

Le Meridien Al Khobar (Saudi Arabia)

Le Meridien Dubai

Le Meridien Heliopolis (Cairo, Egypt)

Le Meridien Ile Maurice (Pointe Aux Piments, Mauritius)

Le Meridien Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)

Le Meridien Makkah (Saudi Arabia)

Le Meridien Mandji (Port Gentil, Gabon)

Le Meridien Mina Seyahi (Dubai)

Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel & Spa (Cairo, Egypt)

Le Meridien Re-Ndama (Libreville, Gabon)

Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi

Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa (Dubai)

Additionally, Le Meridien will this year add a new hotel in Egypt, where the brand currently operates four properties. Le Meridien Cairo Airport will open in September 2013. Located at Terminal 3, it will be the only hotel with direct access to Cairo International Airport terminals. Le Meridien Cairo Airport will feature 350 guestrooms, a 24-hour restaurant, specialty restaurant, coffee bar, lobby bar, lounge, fitness center, and swimming pool. The hotel will have approximately 750 square meters of meeting space, including a business center, ballroom, and six meeting rooms, for a variety of business functions.

Many of these renovated hotels along with Le Meridien Cairo Airport will integrate the Le Meridien Hub™ experience into existing public spaces, re-interpreting the traditional lobby into a social gathering place for curious and creative minded travelers to converse, debate, and exchange. Le Meridien Hub offers both guests and locals an inspiring atmosphere where contemporary, curated artwork sets the environment and a sophisticated cafe experience sets the scene. Le Meridien Hub further builds on the brand's award-winning arrival experience consisting of four elements: large-scale artwork in high impact areas to reset the mind and stimulate dialogue and curiosity; the sensory experience, illustrated through Le Meridien signature scent, sound and use of light, creating a unique and distinctive atmosphere; UNLOCK ART™ programme, featuring LM100 ™ artist designed key card collections that not only offer access to the guestroom but also to Le Meridien affiliated contemporary cultural centers in the city; and a 24-hour soundtrack.

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 over 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 as well as redefining its brand strategy. By appointing a full-time Cultural Curator - French arts-provocateur Jerome Sans - Le Meridien transformed numerous guest touch points, thus bringing unique and interactive 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 Istanbul, Oran (Algeria), Arlington (Virginia, USA), Coimbatore (India), Koh Samui (Thailand), and Taipei, and will open in the next 12 months in Bali, Atlanta, Chicago, Zhengzhou (China), Mahabaleshwar (India), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Cairo (Egypt), Qingdao (China), and Dhaka (Bangladesh). For more information, please visit www.lemeridien.com or facebook.com/lemeridien.

( Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and involve risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made. These risks and uncertainties are presented in detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained or that results and events will not materially differ. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.)