W Hotels gears up to open first hotel in the Middle East W Doha Hotel & Residences opens mid 2008

Featuring 291 guest rooms and suites, 156 Luxury serviced apartments and four dedicated meeting rooms, the W Doha will stand proudly in the West Bay area of the city. With the high-energy interiors and vivid, lifestyle driven design characteristic of W, it will feature multiple signature restaurants and lounges, the Bliss Spa, Sweat fitness centre and W’s distinctive lobby, called the “Living Room.”

Born out of the recognition that “there are customers who seek a balance between style and substance,” W is already one of the biggest success stories in North America. Since its launch in 1998, W’s portfolio has grown to 21 properties, most of which are in the USA. In recent years, the brand has forayed into international markets like Mexico, South Korea and the Maldives with equal success, and it was only a matter of time before they turned their attention to the burgeoning Middle East markets.

W has carved out a niche for itself in a crowded and often commoditized market. It is, before anything else, the hotel for the young at heart. Ross Klein, president of W Hotels worldwide, elaborated “W is about escaping from the routine and becoming part of all that is ‘Now’. Everyone and everything at the W Doha will be geared towards making sure that guests have a fantastic stay.”

And W’s commitment to guests goes far beyond lip service. W employees, or ‘talent’ as W prefers to call them, are trained to live W’s exclusive Whatever/Whenever™ service concept – they will arrange whatever a guest requests, from his favourite cigar to a chartered jet, whenever it is requested - as long as it is legal.

Apart from the vibrant energy and dramatic design, another theme that runs common to all W hotels is technology. A hugely popular hotel with the young and the aspirational, technology is integrated into the very spirit of W. From electronic check-in, iPod docking stations, IP telephones and interactive television in rooms to complete WiFi access and a meeting room with every conceivable facility, W takes technology and convenience very seriously indeed.

Being the first W in the Middle East, the W Doha will set the precedent for more W Hotels soon to be opened in Dubai, Istanbul and possibly other cities in the region. Meanwhile, the residents of - and tourists to - Doha will undoubtedly make the most of the W experience.

About W Hotels Worldwide
W Hotels is a global lifestyle brand with 21 properties in the most vibrant cities around the world. Inspiring and indulging its guests with thoughtful, refreshing and stylish experiences, signature restaurants, bars and destination spas, W has become the fastest growing luxury hotel brand in the world. Each hotel offers a unique mix of innovative design, comfort, and cultural influences from fashion to music to art and everything in between. W’s first residential property, W Dallas-Victory, opened in June of 2006, and soon thereafter was named a Forbes Magazine “Top Business Hotel.” W Residences, offering the W lifestyle at home, have been announced for Scottsdale (2008), Midtown Atlanta (2008), Fort Lauderdale (2008), Buckhead (2008), Hoboken (2008), Downtown Atlanta (2009), Downtown New York (2009), South Beach (2009), Phoenix (2009), Hollywood (2009), Philadelphia (2009), and Austin (2010). Internationally, W has announced plans for hotels in Istanbul (2008), Doha (2008), Hong Kong (2008), St. Petersburg (2008), Athens (2008), Santiago (2008), Milan (2008), Dubai-Festival City (2008), Shanghai (2009), Barcelona (2009), W Macao Studio City (2009), Guangzhou (2010), and Dubai-The Palm (2010). W’s first Retreat & Spa, W Maldives, opened in September of 2006 and in March of 2007, received the prestigious Travel + Leisure Design Award for Best Resort. W has plans to open Retreat & Spa hotels in Vieques (2008), Koh Samui (2008), and Verbier (2010), the latter of which will serve as W’s first ski retreat. For more information, visit .

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 890 properties in more than 100 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood® Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft(SM), and Element(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 .