W Hotels(R) Sails into the Arabian Gulf; The W Doha is the Brand's Second Property Planned for the Middle East

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 19, 2006--W Hotels, the world's fastest growing luxury hotel brand, announced today plans to open the W Doha Hotel & Residences in Qatar, scheduled for the end of 2007. The W Doha, which will be located in the West Bay of Doha on the Qatar peninsula, is the brand's second hotel planned for the Middle East following the W Dubai Festival City.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT), W's parent company, has entered into an agreement with the J&A Jaidah, principals of J&A Jaidah Holdings, one of the most well known and well respected private companies in the Middle East. Starwood will manage the hotel on behalf of J&A Jaidah. W Doha will feature 292 guest rooms, including 31 suites and 154 W Residences, multiple signature restaurants, a poolside outdoor shisha lounge, champagne bar, event space, and luxury retail space.

“W Doha will offer a level of design, energy and style that does not yet exist in Qatar while giving our guests access to some of the most authentic and treasured elements of the city, including shopping in traditional souks and desert safaris”

The W Doha will offer the Living Room experience the brand is known for, creating a place where guests and the local community can socialize, poolside lounge areas and spectacular views of the Arabian Gulf. Guests and residents will be treated to the W brand's signature Whatever/Whenever(R) service, the hotel's 24-hour concierge that can provide whatever guests want (from a pair of running shoes to private jet service), whenever they want it.

"W Doha will offer a level of design, energy and style that does not yet exist in Qatar while giving our guests access to some of the most authentic and treasured elements of the city, including shopping in traditional souks and desert safaris," said Ross Klein, President of W Hotels Worldwide. "As the Middle East booms as a business and leisure destination, W is proud to offer a new kind experience for visitors and the local community in this region."

United Designers of London, best known for designing projects around the world including U2's The Clarence Hotel in Dublin and the Metropolitan Hotel in London, have been chosen as the designers for the W Doha project.

"Coming on the heels of the W Dubai Festival City announcement, W Doha is another wonderful step for the W brand in an incredibly exciting and dynamic region and another step for Starwood that further solidifies its position as the leading global hotel operator in the Middle East," said Roeland Vos, President, Starwood Europe, Africa & Middle East.

Starwood was one of the first global hotel companies to operate in the Middle East through the Sheraton(R) brand and since its recent Le Meridien(R) brand acquisition, is the largest global operator in the region. As part of a larger global expansion, the W has announced plans to open hotels in Dubai, the Maldives, Barcelona, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Santiago, and Vieques.

W Hotels is a global lifestyle brand with 20 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. Recent openings include W's first property in Asia, W Seoul - Walkerhill and its first property in Canada, W Montreal. W Residences, offering the W lifestyle at home, have been announced for Las Vegas, Hollywood, Dallas, South Beach, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Hoboken. Internationally, W has announced plans for hotels in the Maldives, Barcelona, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Santiago and Dubai. For more information, visit www.whotels.com.

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 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 www.starwoodhotels.com.

(Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities regulations. 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 statement was 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.)