Logo 'Westin Hotels and Resorts'

STAMFORD, Conn. – Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announced the opening of The Westin Wilmington, a newly constructed hotel at the heart of the city's revitalized Riverfront district. Owned by a joint venture between The Buccini/Pollin Group and Westport Capital, and managed by PM Hospitality Strategies, Inc., The Westin Wilmington is directly connected to The Chase Center on the Riverfront and features 180 spacious rooms, full-service dining at The River Rock Kitchen, state-of-the-art meeting facilities and function space. Guests will also enjoy breathtaking views of the downtown Wilmington skyline and the entire Delaware Valley.

"We are thrilled to debut Westin Hotels in Wilmington's dynamic Riverfront district, which has been transformed into a leading entertainment and cultural center"

"We are thrilled to debut Westin Hotels in Wilmington's dynamic Riverfront district, which has been transformed into a leading entertainment and cultural center," said Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader for Westin Hotels & Resorts and Le Meridien. "Business and leisure travelers are invited to recharge and revitalize at The Westin Wilmington with the help of all the Westin brand's signature programs and amenities, designed to send them home feeling better than when they arrived."

Conveniently located at 818 Shipyard Drive, The Westin Wilmington provides direct access to the Chase Center on the Riverfront, the city's premier meeting and convention facility. The new Westin is within close proximity of the restaurants, shops, entertainment and cultural venues in the Riverfront district including Frawley Stadium (home of the Wilmington Blue Rocks), Delaware Theatre Company, Delaware Children's Museum, Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts and the 15-screen Penn Cinema, featuring IMAX offerings. Also nearby are the offices of numerous Fortune 500 companies including Bank of America, Barclays, IBM and JP Morgan Chase.

"The opening of The Westin Wilmington is an important step forward in the redevelopment of the Riverfront district," said Dave Pollin, Co-Founder of The Buccini/Pollin Group. "The new Westin will inspire wellbeing with its spectacular views, world-class amenities and innovative brand-led programming."

Guests will enjoy a wide variety of American cuisine in a casual, yet sophisticated atmosphere at The River Rock Kitchen. Combined, the Westin Wilmington and the adjacent Chase Center on the Riverfront offer 92,000 square feet of market-leading meeting space ideal for weddings, social galas and business functions, as well as a Legal Center serving law firms needing secure space while trying cases in Delaware. Additional facilities include a WestinWORKOUT® fitness studio, indoor pool and 24-hour Business Center.

The sensory-rich environment at Westin provides a respite from the rigors of travel and sets a welcoming tone. The Westin brand's innovative programs and instinctive service transform every aspect of a guest's stay into a revitalizing experience. All guestrooms and suites at The Westin Wilmington offer the world-renowned Westin Heavenly® Bed – featuring lush sheets, down cushioning and a patented pillow-top mattress, which cradles and contours to the body for complete comfort. Guests will revive in the Heavenly® Bath enhanced with the brand's Heavenly® Shower, Heavenly® Robe and White Tea Aloe bath amenities, and in-room and high-speed Internet access. The hotel also offers the Westin brand's signature SuperFoodsRX® menu, which includes nutrient-rich and delicious options to tempt every palate.

Westin Hotels & Resorts, like all brands within Starwood's robust 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 Westin Hotels & Resorts

Westin Hotels & Resorts offers innovative programs that transform every aspect of a stay into a revitalizing experience. All Westin signature services – like the Heavenly Bed®, delicious SuperFoodsRx® and WestinWORKOUT® studio – have been designed with the guests' well-being in mind. Westin hotels,with more than 190 hotels and resorts in nearly 40 countries and territories, is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with nearly 1,200 properties in 100 countries and 181,400 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® (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 The Buccini/Pollin Group

Buccini/Pollin is a privately held, full-service real estate acquisition, development and management company with offices in Wilmington, DE, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York City. Buccini/Pollin has developed and acquired office, hotel, multifamily, retail, and sports/entertainment properties in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. Buccini/Pollin has acquired or developed over $3 billion in assets, including 24 hotels, six million SF of office, industrial, and retail space in 64 commercial buildings, and six major residential communities. Buccini/Pollin is the largest privately held office landlord in the Philadelphia region.

About PMHS

PMHS is an award-winning, independent hotel management company, operating full-service and select-service hotels in the Hilton, Marriott, Starwood and Choice families of brands. The company's expertise covers all aspects of hotel operations, including development, technical consulting, marketing, accounting, pre-opening services and on-going management. PMHS currently manages approximately 25 hotel and development projects, comprised of more than 4,000 rooms, throughout the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., PMHS has participated in the development and acquisition/renovation of dozens of hotels with a market capitalization in excess of $1 billion. PMHS is an approved management company for all leading hotel brands. Additional information about the company may be found at .