STAMFORD, Conn. – Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced its iconic Sheraton®brand has arrived in Memphis, Tennessee, following the strategic conversion of a prime downtown property. Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel is connected to the Memphis Cook Convention Center at the heart of the city’s vibrant downtown. Owned by Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: HST), the former Marriott property is in the midst of a major renovation in order to implement all of the Sheraton brand’s signature amenities and services. Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel is a significant addition to the growing Sheraton portfolio, helping to accelerate the brand’s $8 billion global expansion effort.

“Sheraton is delighted to be part of the Memphis community with the opening of this terrific downtown property as we continue to aggressively expand the brand in dynamic destinations, worldwide,” said Hoyt Harper, Global Brand Leader, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. “Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel will welcome travelers with a stylish, comfortable and social atmosphere where they can enjoy all the brand’s recently enhanced signature services and amenities in a convenient location near leading Memphis attractions.”

Located at 250 North Main Street, Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel is walking distance to the restaurants, art galleries, boutiques and nightclubs in the world-famous Beale Street entertainment district – home of the Blues. Just 12 miles from Memphis International Airport (MEM), the hotel is just steps from the historic Main Street Trolley and close to leading attractions including Orpheum Theater, FedEx Forum, the National Civil Rights Museum, the Mississippi Riverfront, Graceland and the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

“I am excited to welcome Sheraton to downtown Memphis,” said Mayor A C Wharton. The multi-million dollar enhancement project they have planned is impressive. It will provide visitors to Memphis with high-quality accommodations and first-rate meeting space that aligns well with other things we are doing to make Memphis a City of Choice, and to focus on growing the city to prosperity. Also, we are pleased that the owners chose Davidson Hotels & Resorts, a company with Memphis roots, to manage the facility. Davidson has one of the purest full-service hotel portfolios in the industry, including 46 upscale, full-service independent and branded hotels with over 13,500 rooms.”

“The opening of Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel is another step forward for the city of Memphis, which has made a significant investment in recent years to revitalize its urban core,” said Bernie Murphy, SVP-Business Development, Davidson Hotels & Resorts. “We at Davidson are proud to offer visitors to Memphis a superbly transformed, upscale lodging option at the heart of the city’s increasingly dynamic downtown.”

Every area of the Convention Center hotel will be upgraded to reflect the Sheraton brand’s quality standards. The Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel will feature the brand’s signature Link@Sheraton® experienced with Microsoft® – a social hub in the lobby where connections, whether face-to-face or webcam-to-webcam take place, and a Link Café. All 600 guest rooms will be upgraded and equipped with the all-white Sheraton Sweet Sleeper® bed, designed to meet AAA’s Five Diamond Award® criteria, as well as an oversized work desk, ergonomic chair, high-speed Internet, and LCD flat panel television.

Perfect for meetings of all sizes and social functions, Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel provides 14,000 square feet of flexible meeting space with all of the latest meetings technology. Additional amenities include a full-service restaurant and lounge, indoor pool with outside balcony and Sheraton Club Lounge. Following renovations, the hotel’s fitness facility will feature the brand’s revolutionary new health and fitness program, Sheraton Fitness, Programmed by Core Performance™, designed exclusively for Sheraton guests through its partner Core Performance. The hotel is managed by Davidson Hotels & Resorts, an experienced manager of four-star meetings hotels and a longtime operator of hotels in the Memphis market.

Starwood has spent the last few years renovating and rebuilding one of the hotel industry’s most iconic brands and Sheraton now stands stronger than ever with the most robust portfolio in its history and is experiencing record-breaking growth, putting the brand on track to open its 500th hotel in 2015.

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, like all brands within Starwood’s outstanding portfolio, is proud to offer the Starwood Preferred Guest® program, which made headlines when it launched in 1999 with a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates on Free Night Awards. SPG® offers members the ability to redeem awards at more resorts, more luxury properties, more European hotels and more golf properties than any other hotel program.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,162 properties in nearly 100 countries and 171,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, and Element®. The Company boasts one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest(R) (SPG), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands. For more information, please visit .

About Host Hotels & Resorts

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. is an S&P 500 and Fortune 500 company and is the largest lodging real estate investment trust and one of the largest owners of luxury and upper-upscale hotels. The Company currently owns 103 properties in the United States and 15 properties internationally totaling approximately 62,700 rooms. The Company also holds non-controlling interests in a joint venture in Europe that owns 19 hotels with approximately 6,100 rooms and a joint venture in Asia that owns one hotel with approximately 300 rooms in Australia and a minority interest in two hotels in India. Guided by a disciplined approach to capital allocation and aggressive asset management, the Company partners with premium brands in the operation of properties in over 50 major markets worldwide. For additional information, please visit the Company’s website at .

About Davidson Hotels & Resorts

Davidson Hotels & Resorts is an award-winning, full-service hotel management company that provides management, development/renovation, acquisition, consulting and accounting expertise for the hospitality industry. The company has amassed one of the purest full-service hotel portfolios in the industry, ranging from the upper-upscale to near-luxury segments; encompassing 46 upscale, full-service independent and branded hotels with over 13,500 rooms across the United States. Additional information on Davidson may be found at the company’s website, .

* This press release contains registered trademarks that are the exclusive property of their respective owners. None of the owners of these trademarks has any responsibility or liability for any information contained in this press release.

Nadeen Ayala
203-351-2542
Starwood