WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc., one of the world's leading hotel companies, is making its debut in South Africa with today's opening of the Sheraton Pretoria Hotel and Towers. The hotel, owned by Kharafi Holdings Ltd. of Kuwait, is being managed by Sheraton Hotels and Resorts.

'This is the hotel built for the new millennium,' says Sami Zoghbi, president of Starwood's Africa, India and Middle East division. 'The property will become an integral part of the meeting and conference market in South Africa.'

Located opposite the landmark Union building, which is the office of the country's president, the hotel has 175 rooms including 36 tower rooms, seven diplomatic and nine junior suites, and one presidential suite with a spectacular view of the Union Buildings. One floor is designed for members of the company's Starwood Preferred Guest program.

'Pretoria is a city where guests demand exceptional quality and the highest international standards,' says general manager Klaus Gurny. 'This is what we are delivering with the Sheraton Pretoria Hotel and Towers.'

'Starwood is offering the most sophisticated meeting and conference facilities in South Africa,' adds Zoghbi. 'In addition, banqueting and hospitality at the Sheraton Pretoria Hotel and Towers will be second to none.'

The hotel's two Jacaranda ballrooms are expected to be popular venues for elite conferences and seminars. All auditoriums and conference rooms offer slide and overhead projectors, flip chart, screen, Barco system and video conference connections.

International cuisine will be featured in Via Veneto, an ultra-modern Italian/Mediterranean restaurant that features Spanish paellas, Italian pizzas, Lebanese mezzas and fresh seafood. For nightlife, the hotel offers bars, lounges, an outdoor terrace restaurant, round-the-clock dining, a ragtime jazz club and Stars Studio nightclub, a satellite operation a few blocks from the hotel, managed by Sheraton.

Nearby attractions include the Pretoria Zoo, shopping centers, the Sammy Marks Museum, the Museum of Natural History, Church Square and several golf courses. Guests also may visit private game reserves and the Sterkfontein caves.

Sheraton has more than 370 hotels in 63 countries and is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Starwood, through its St. Regis Luxury Collection, Westin, Sheraton, Four Points, W and Caesars subsidiaries, is one of the leading hotel companies in the world with more than 700 hotels in 74 countries and 185,000 employees. The company's Africa, India and Middle East division includes 46 hotels in 24 countries.

More information on Sheraton may be obtained from any travel agent; Sheraton sales office; the hotel group's toll-free number, 800-325-3535 or the website: www.sheraton.com.

Deborah M. Bernstein
Sheraton Public Relations
+1 914 640-8361