WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) ("Starwood") announced that it has closed on the sale of four hotels to an affiliate of Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: HST) ("Host"). These hotels are part of the portfolio of 35 hotels to be sold to Host. The closing of these hotels was deferred as a result of certain notice periods and consents that had not been received prior to the closing of the sale of 28 of the hotels on April 10, 2006. The hotels will remain in the Starwood system and continue to be managed by Starwood under long-term management agreements. The gross proceeds received for these four hotels are approximately $488 million.

The hotels included in yesterday's transaction are:

  • Sheraton Skyline Hotel & Conference Centre, Hayes, UK
  • Sheraton Roma Hotel & Conference Centre, Rome, Italy
  • The Westin Palace Madrid, Madrid, Spain
  • The Westin Palace Milan, Milan, Italy.

An additional three hotels were deferred from the first closing and Starwood expects to realize gross proceeds of approximately $203 million upon the sale of these hotels. The hotels are:

  • The Westin Europa & Regina, Venice, Italy
  • Sheraton Fiji Resort, Nadi, Fiji
  • The Westin Royal Denarau Island Resort & Spa, Nadi, Fiji

The total consideration for the six European hotels in the sale portfolio to Host, including the Sheraton Warsaw Hotel & Towers, which closed on April 10, the four hotels which closed yesterday and The Westin Europa & Regina, is approximately $621 million.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 850 properties in more than 95 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood(R) Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis(R), The Luxury Collection(R), Sheraton(R), Westin(R), Four Points(R) by Sheraton, W(R), Le Meridien(R) and the recently announced Aloft(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 .

Please contact Starwood's new, toll-free media hotline at (866) 4-STAR-PR (866-478-2777) for photography or additional information.

Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities regulations, including any statements as to whether or when the transaction with Host is expected to be consummated. 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.

Alisa Rosenberg
914-640-5214
Starwood