Spectacular apartments in Dubai and Paris bring to 17 the number of properties to date in The Hideaways Club’s City Collection portfolio.

In July this year The Hideaways Club opened its first Dubai apartment. This luxury two bedroom, two bathroom property is located in downtown Dubai overlooking the world’s tallest building, the Burg Khalifa and the stunning Dubai Fountain. Situated within the 5 Star The Address Hotel, Members have the benefit of being able to use all the hotels facilities including a swimming pool, and enjoy proximity to a huge variety of shops and restaurants. Within minutes of the golden beaches of Dubai, this apartment makes the perfect base for those visiting the city and for those wanting to explore the surrounding desert.

Opening this month, the Paris apartment is located on the Rue de Cerisoles within the 8th Arrondissement in ‘The Golden Triangle’. This stunning two en-suite bedroom apartment is centrally situated between the Champs Elysees and Avenue George V and is ideal for excellent shopping, theatres, great restaurants and sites of historical interest.

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New Sheraton Opens in Brooklyn’s Expanding Hotel Corridor with 321 Guestrooms, Rooftop Lounge with Dramatic NYC Views, Indoor Swimming Pool with Retractable Roof and More

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) is proud to announce the highly anticipated opening of the Sheraton Brooklyn New York. The 25-story contemporary, full-service hotel is owned by The Lam Group and features 321 guest rooms offering modern design, relaxed living space and stunning 360° views from the rooftop lounge. The Sheraton Brooklyn marks the first full-service hotel to open in Brooklyn in more than 12 years and is part of the brand’s strategic expansion that will add approximately 50 new hotels and over 20,000 rooms to the Sheraton portfolio over the next three years. The hotel also marks the first of two Sheraton hotels that will make their New York debut this year — The Sheraton Tribeca New York Hotel will open Fall 2010.

Brooklyn is quickly becoming a top destination for tourists, business travelers and conventions, and with its revitalized Downtown, a new sports arena and the Brooklyn Nets, the borough has become a hot bed of new hotel development. With more than 35 hotel projects in the pipeline, the opening of the Sheraton Brooklyn kicks off the borough’s massive hotel growth spurt that will ultimately bring over 3,800 hotel rooms to Brooklyn.

Conveniently situated within the MetroTech Center on Duffield Street, the hotel is close to numerous large-scale businesses including Chase Manhattan Bank, the United States District Courthouse (S.D.N.Y) and Morgan Stanley, and is within easy reach of all major New York City airports, making it an ideal location for business travelers. It is also located next to the new Aloft hotel, Starwood’s high-design select-service brand, that is slated to open this Fall. The Sheraton Brooklyn offers leisure guests access to the historic neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights, BAM cultural district, Atlantic Terminal Mall and the Polytechnic Institute of NYU. Nearby subways lines bring guests from Brooklyn to lower Manhattan in one stop or to Times Square in just 15 minutes.

“Sheraton has historically been one of the first hotel brands to enter developing markets and we are proud to lead the gentrification of Downtown Brooklyn with the opening of the borough’s first full-service hotel since 1998,” said Hoyt Harper, Senior Vice President, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. “New York continues to maintain its position as the world’s most popular tourist destination for international visitors and recently emerged as the top choice for domestic travelers for the first time in nearly 30 years. The opening of the Sheraton Brooklyn raises Starwood’s New York City footprint to 14 best in-class hotels and as the economy continues to rebound, we are preparing for an influx of travelers to the city that never sleeps with new product located in rich, diverse neighborhoods like Brooklyn and Tribeca.”

The hotel’s rooftop lounge, high above downtown Brooklyn, will offer dramatic views and a relaxed atmosphere. Opening to the public later this year, the roof top will boast 2,000 square-feet of indoor space and 1,500 square-feet of patio space, perfect for enjoying a beverage or a bite while taking in the 360° views of Brooklyn and lower Manhattan.

The Sheraton Brooklyn also features the signature offerings of the brand’s recent $6 billion revitalization effort including the “Link@SheratonSM experienced with Microsoft(R).” This unique lounge enables today’s travelers to stay connected with instant access to information and technology for work, leisure and social networking. The hotel’s distinctive new guest room experience reflects guests’ preferences for a flexible design. Each room features a 42″ LCD flat panel television, an MP3 Home Docking station, oversized work desks and comfortable seating and the all-white Sheraton Sweet Sleeper(R) bed. The hotel also features the brand’s revolutionary new health and fitness program, Sheraton Fitness, Programmed by Core Performance, a holistic program designed exclusively for Sheraton guests through its partner, Core Performance. The brand’s signature 1,000 square foot fitness offering also features a separate solarium with retractable roof, an indoor heated pool and Jacuzzi.

The hotel’s 21 suites include a choice of one or two bedrooms or hospitality suites equipped with wet bar and refrigerator. Select suites feature over-sized private terraces perfect for entertaining, relaxing or enjoying the sights and sounds of downtown Brooklyn. Special Club rooms are also available on private key-access floors giving guests access to the Club Lounge, which offers daily complimentary continental breakfast, afternoon hors d’ oeuvres and non-alcoholic beverages. Starwood Preferred Guest(R) members receive access to private key-access SPG(R) floors.

Grubstake, a full-service restaurant with bar combined with a separate Lobby Lounge, provides the credibility of Manhattan and the charm of Brooklyn. The Bar will serve as Downtown Brooklyn’s premier martini and cocktail hangout with a strong focus on seasonal drink lists.

With 4,300-square-feet of flexible meeting space the Sheraton Brooklyn New York is the perfect venue for small to mid-sized meetings or events.

For more information please visit http://www.sheraton.com.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1000 properties in nearly 100 countries and territories with 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis(R), The Luxury Collection(R), W(R), Westin(R), Le Méridien(R), Sheraton(R), Four Points(R) by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft(R), 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 http://www.starwoodhotels.com.

Miami’s Highly Anticipated Oceanfront Resort and Residences Celebrates Topping Off

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) proudly announces that in less than 24 months since the implosion of the landmark Sheraton Bal Harbour, The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort has completed vertical construction for all three of its 27-story towers. This is an impressive accomplishment and significant milestone in the development of what some industry experts estimate to be the largest, active residential-resort project in the Southeast United States.

Scheduled for completion in 2011, the luxury oceanfront resort and residences located directly across from the famous Bal Harbour Shops, has made a significant contribution to the Florida coastline. Setting a new standard for luxury living in South Florida, current plans for The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort and The Residences at The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort include 205 elegantly appointed guest rooms, 270 private residences, 37 hotel condominium suites, a 12,000 square foot Remede Spa, signature oceanfront restaurant, St. Regis wine bar, state-of-the-art meeting and event space, and secluded beachfront access across approximately nine acres of lush landscaping. Each residence and guest room boasts floor-to-ceiling windows and the residences feature expansive balconies measuring from 440 to more than 1,380 square feet to provide unparalleled views of the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. With interior design by world renowned firm Yabu Pushelburg, The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort will offer guests and residents modern sophistication, unparalleled luxury and bespoke service at one the best addresses in the world.

Following in the tradition of the iconic The St. Regis New York, The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort will feature the famed hallmarks of St. Regis hotels including the legendary St. Regis Butler Service, bespoke guest experiences and luxury accommodations tailored to meet global travelers’ needs. Trained in the English tradition, the butlers provide ever-present, yet unobtrusive service while anticipating guests’ needs and customizing each guest’s stay according to his or her specific tastes and preferences.

“Pinnacle properties like The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort stand apart from other luxury resort communities or developments because they represent the best of everything, within the resort, the residences themselves and the surrounding community,” states John Manrique, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for The Residences at The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort. He adds, “This is an unparalleled location, and our continuing progress and achievements such as topping-off have further fueled the sales interest and activity we are enjoying in 2010, as Clients seek to secure the best of our remaining residences.”

“We are extremely pleased with the progress made to date,” states Keith Fordsman, Vice President of Development for The St. Regis Resort Bal Harbour Resort, “and credit much of our success to a renowned global brand and talented development team. We are currently working with our future residents on their interior finish selections and design plans, and it is rewarding to see the excitement and enthusiasm they share with us for what will certainly be a major landmark.”

Located on more than 600 lineal feet of pristine beachfront, The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort features private St. Regis residences ranging from one to four bedrooms comprised of 1,777 to 6,868 square feet and offer residents access to resort’s exclusive hotel services and amenities such as the St. Regis legendary Butler Service, access the resort’s signature Remede spa, pre-arrival grocery shopping, in-residence dining, private chauffeured transportation, housekeeping, and in-residence pet services. Residences are offered from $1.9 million, more information is available by calling 305.993.6000 or visiting online at www.StRegisBalHarbour.com.

The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort will join a select portfolio of St. Regis hotels in the best addresses around the world including Aspen, Atlanta, Bali, Beijing, Bora Bora, Deer Crest, Houston, London, Monarch Beach, Mexico City, New York, Punta Mita, Rome, San Francisco, Shanghai, Singapore and Washington, D.C.

About St. Regis Hotels & Resorts
Combining classic sophistication and modern luxury, the St. Regis brand remains faithful to its commitment to excellence. Founded by John Jacob Astor IV, with the opening of the first St. Regis Hotel in New York City over a century ago, The St. Regis brand of hotels is known for its unique luxury dimension, customized service and refined elegance, in the best destinations worldwide. Plans for this brand to globally continue its legacy include long-awaited St. Regis properties in Bahia Beach, Puerto Rico, and Bal Harbour in the US and on the exclusive island of Bermuda. In Latin America, St. Regis will unveil new hotels and resorts in Buenos Aires and Kanai Riviera. In Asia, St. Regis has also announced plans to open properties in Bangkok, Chengdu, Kuala Lumpur, Lhasa, Nanjing, Osaka, Sanya Yalong Bay and Tianjin. In Africa and the Middle East, the St. Regis brand will continue to expand in Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Doha and Mauritius. The distinctive trait of the St. Regis experience is customized service and attention, coveted locations and luxurious design. For more information on The St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, please visit the new www.stregis.com.

About The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort
The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort is located on Collins Avenue at the northern tip of Miami Beach. Current design plans include 270 ultra-luxurious residences, 37 condo-hotel suites, and 205 hotel rooms. Highlights include signature butler service, a 12,000-square-foot Remède(R) Spa and serene gardens with multiple pools, water features and sculptures. The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort’s Sales Gallery is located at 1170 Kane Concourse, Suite 100, Bay Harbor Islands, FL 33154. Residences are offered from $1.9 million, more information is available by calling 305.993.6000 or visiting online at www.StRegisBalHarbour.com.

Industry Leader Partners with The Americas Group to Help Reach More Prospective Members

Exclusive Resorts, the world’s leading luxury destination club, today announced it is working with the prestigious consulting firm The Americas Group to increase awareness of its unique membership offerings among affluent families in Latin America.

A private club with Revolution LLC Founder and AOL Co-Founder Steve Case as its Chairman, Exclusive Resorts offers members access to a portfolio of hundreds of luxury residences in dozens of the most desirable vacation destinations in the world. Members also enjoy distinctive personalized service on every trip, access to world-class resort amenities such as private beach clubs and spas, and a welcoming community of fellow successful members and their families.

As the clear leader in the destination club market, Exclusive Resorts has exceeded 90% in member satisfaction with club travel for seven consecutive years. Current club destinations include Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos, Mexico; Miami, Florida; New York, New York; London; and Paris, among many other luxury destinations.

Exclusive Resorts membership is structured similarly to a country club, requiring a one-time Membership Fee (75% refundable) and Annual Dues. Flexible membership plans allow members to choose how many days per year they want to travel with the club, from 10 days up to 60 days per year. All members enjoy access to the club’s entire portfolio of luxury residences. With a current Annual Dues rate of $995 (US) per day, Exclusive Resorts membership offers great luxury, flexibility and value to affluent travelers in Latin America.

With 38 years of deep involvement and ongoing presence in Central and South America, paired with a comprehensive understanding of the preferences of affluent travelers from the region, The Americas Group will provide strategic assistance to Exclusive Resorts’ program to reach greater numbers of prospective members in Latin America. The Americas Group brings a team of world-class experts, as well as a Board of Advisors with unprecedented experience and standing in the region. Board members include former President of Costa Rica José María Figueres, former President of Colombia Andrés Pastrana Arango, former United States Senator Bob Kerrey, former Brazilian Ambassador to the United States and Court of St. James Rubens Antonio Barbosa, and former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Jeffrey Davidow.

“The Americas Group is the pre-eminent U.S.-based consulting and marketing firm focused on Latin America, with unmatched credibility,” said Jeff Potter, Chief Executive Officer of Exclusive Resorts. “We are excited to begin leveraging their deep expertise in the region, to create efficient channels for adding new club members throughout Latin America.”

“Exclusive Resorts has set the standard for the luxury destination club space for seven years, creating a unique way for families and friends to travel together using elegant multi-room villas and cosmopolitan residences that is simply better than any alternative,” said Howard Glicken, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Americas Group. “We look forward to working with them to showcase their outstanding destinations, service and amenities in this exciting market.”

About Exclusive Resorts
“There’s No Place Like Together.” The world’s leading luxury destination club, Exclusive Resorts is committed to providing its members with rich and rewarding vacations shared with family and friends. Exclusive Resorts combines the best of luxury resorts with the spaciousness and elegance of private residences, offering its members hundreds of homes in dozens of the most sought-after vacation destinations, along with access to world-class resort amenities and exceptional personalized service. Additionally, the club offers its members a variety of unique, private Once in a Lifetime experiences, taking them to fascinating destinations in more than 25 countries on all seven continents. Exclusive Resorts has delivered more than 100,000 vacations to its more than 3,000 members, and has a real estate portfolio valued at over $1 billion. The Denver-based club was founded in 2002 and began providing vacations in 2003. For more information, visit www.exclusiveresorts.com, call (800) 447-8988, and follow Exclusive Resorts on Facebook and Twitter.

About The Americas Group
The Americas Group (“TAG”) is a consulting, marketing and merchant banking firm focusing its activities on Latin America, Mexico and the Caribbean. The Company develops Latin American market entry strategies for U.S. companies and United States market entry strategies for Latin American companies, and then assists them in executing the strategies through a variety of business arrangements, including partnerships with TAG. For more information, visit www.theamericasgroup.net.

Hospitality Giant Slated to Create More than 12,000 New Jobs in the Coming Year

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announces plans to add more than 12,000 new jobs to the global workforce in 2010 – with roughly half of these jobs to be located inside the U.S. in markets spanning from New York to California. The news comes on the heels of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ employment situation report issued Friday that indicates unemployment remained at 10% in December, with 15.3 million unemployed persons.

“Today, the travel industry employs 7.7 million Americans – more than double that of the auto industry – and travel is uniquely positioned to create even more jobs as the economy continues to recover,” said Frits van Paasschen, President and CEO of Starwood. “After a year of hunkering down and cutting costs, companies are driving their topline again. By definition this means getting back on the road, which not only benefits their own business, but also helps spur job creation.”

The majority of the new jobs will be created through the 80-100 new hotels Starwood and its development partners are slated to open this year globally. These hotels, which span Starwood’s nine brands, will be located in key urban markets like New York City and Los Angeles, as well smaller markets like Biloxi, Miss. and Kalamazoo Mich. Hotels will offer a range of positions including general management; human resources; food and beverage; engineering and maintenance; housekeeping; spa and guest services.

Upcoming hotels now hiring or soon to begin include The Westin Austin at The Domain; Sheraton Brooklyn New York Hotel; W Hotel & Spa – Vieques Island, and the Four Points by Sheraton Biloxi Beach Boulevard. Individuals interested in pursuing a career at Starwood and one of its hotels can visit www.starwood.jobs. Candidates can also go to http://new-hotels.starwoodpromos.com/ to learn about opportunities and contact information at specific hotels.

These jobs are expected to be in high demand as in 2009 Starwood’s hotels have seen record numbers of applicants. For example, at the soon-to-open W Hollywood Hotel & Residences, more than 10,000 people applied for its 400 positions. More than 10,000 people applied for 300 positions at the recently opened W Washington D.C. And at the Sheraton Augusta Hotel in Georgia, which opened in December, more than 400 individuals applied for its 30 housekeeping positions.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 982 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, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis(R), The Luxury Collection(R), W(R), Westin(R), Le Méridien(R), Sheraton(R), Four Points(R) by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft(R), and ElementSM. 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.

Disney Doorway to Dreams, located at Roosevelt Field on Long Island, features a full-scale, two-bedroom vacation home model, interactive zones, children’s play area and more.

The recently opened Disney Doorway to Dreams offers Roosevelt Field shoppers and New York-area residents a convenient and interactive way to discover the excitement of Disney Vacation Club, an innovative vacation-ownership program that allows families to enjoy flexibility and savings on decades of future vacations.

Disney Doorway to Dreams showcases the spacious, family-friendly accommodations featured at Disney Vacation Club resorts. Through Disney Vacation Club, families can relax and spend quality time together, either at Disney destinations worldwide or at more than 500 other popular vacation locations around the world. Disney Doorway to Dreams’ convenient mall location gives visitors a chance to explore the many vacation choices they have through Disney Vacation Club, including magical stays at the Walt Disney World Resort, relaxing cruises aboard Disney Cruise Line and family-friendly, interactive Adventures by Disney trips where families can choose to travel to one of six different continents.

“Disney Doorway to Dreams gives us a chance to reach one of the top markets for our rapidly growing membership base and help Roosevelt Field visitors discover the many benefits of becoming a Disney Vacation Club member family,” said Disney Vacation Club President Jim Lewis. “We aim to duplicate the popularity of our original Disney Doorway to Dreams location in Chicago with our new location on Long Island, sharing the vacation-ownership experience with a whole new group of people.”

To help families envision the ways Disney Vacation Club Membership can enhance the way they vacation, Disney Doorway to Dreams features a full-scale, two-bedroom model of a vacation villa at Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort in Central Florida, one of Disney Vacation Club’s newest resorts.

Located on the second floor near Nordstrom, Disney Doorway to Dreams presents a variety of interactive features, including a wall lined with doors that open to display videos, photos and even touch-screen activities. There’s even a kid-sized door that allows children to look through a portal into the kid’s clubhouse, where they will discover a dry-erase mural they can color.

Once visitors have spent time in the interactive entryway, they will have the opportunity to view a brief video about Disney Vacation Club in a twelve-seat theater. Guests then have the opportunity to meet with a vacation guide to learn about the options available to Disney Vacation Club members.

“Disney Vacation Club has always been both a leader and an innovator in the timeshare industry,” said Howard C. Nusbaum, president and CEO of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA). “Offering full-scale model vacation villas in a mall setting is uniquely Disney and this new Disney Doorway to Dreams location makes it fun and exciting for families to learn about new and memorable ways to vacation.”
 
About Roosevelt Field
Celebrating more than 50 years of offering more choices, Roosevelt Field is located at the intersection of Old Country Road and the Meadowbrook Parkway in Garden City and is managed by Simon Property Group, Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The mall offers unparalleled customer service with amenities including Simon Giftcards, good everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted; Ticketmaster at Simon Guest Services; valet parking; complimentary wheelchairs; strollers; and a post office. It is anchored by Nordstrom, Macy’s, JC Penney, Bloomingdale’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods and has more than 270 specialty stores. For more information, please go to www.simon.com.

Paris Residence Club Fractional Ownership Company, announces the first of a series of “Meet the Developers” gatherings and informational receptions in major American cities, starting with Manhattan on June 11th, 2009. Potential clients considering Paris apartments for sale can inquire about Paris Residence Club’s program and how fractional ownership in Paris can best work for them.

Paris-based fractional ownership company, Paris Residence Club, is embarking on a ‘grass roots’ tour of major American cities, starting with Manhattan, “in order to introduce whom we are and what we stand for”, says Owner and CEO, Walid Halabi.

An evening reception will take place on June 11, 2009 and will be preceded in the same afternoon with an open house get-together, during which Paris Residence Club CEO Walid Halabi and his staff will be personally available to answer any queries concerning fractional ownership and the Club’s program of apartments for sale in Paris.

This is a boutique operation and we need to be out there to meet people and reassure them”, adds Walid Halabi. “We are passionate about what we do and we’d like to share this passion with others. Our clients, especially during these difficult times, demand a more personal approach, and they deserve it”.

Ownership in one of Paris Residence Club’s apartments starts at $145,000 for a 1/13th interest.

About Paris Residence Club
Paris Residence Club is the only fractional ownership company in Paris to offer a full residence club program with an extensive range of premium services and amenities. The fractional apartments for sale in Paris consist of one, two, and three bedrooms, located in the best districts of Paris. Each 1/13th ownership interest allows owners four weeks of usage every year, plus a bonus week in either the Club’s Provence property or its yacht, based in the South of France.

“For many, owning a vacation home in Paris is the ultimate dream”, says Walid Halabi, “but the cost and complexity of acquiring a vacation home in France keep most people from fulfilling that dream. Paris Residence Club’s fractional ownership program can easily help turn that dream into reality. It’s the way of the future. Correction, it’s already the present”.

Paris Real Estate
Apartments in Paris’ most desired districts have been particularly resistant to the current recession. “A shared ownership in Paris Residence Club is not only a fraction of what it would cost to buy a whole Paris apartment, but it can also be one of the safest investments one can make today”, says Walid Halabi. “Not to mention the pleasure you’d get out of it. Now that’s what I call having your pie and eating it too”, Paris Residence Club is planning functions in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and Boston over the next few months. Cities and dates will be announced on the company’s online events calendar.
The first Manhattan open house, “Meet the Developers” gathering will be held at marketing consulting firm, Nice Partners, located 168 Fifth Avenue, Suite 201 in New York City. Paris Residence Club Owner and CEO Walid Halabi will be happy to meet and answer questions between 11 AM and 4 PM. Anyone interested in attending is invited to register online or call (801) 230-5396. A cocktail reception will follow at Mark Murray Fine Paintings Gallery, 39 East 72nd Street, New York (by invitation only).

Inspired by the Bustling Atmosphere of Times Square, Renowned Design Firm Yabu Pushelberg Creates a Contemporary Cool Urban Escape in the Heart of New York City

W Hotels Worldwide, the hotel category buster and industry innovator, today announced the completion of a full guestroom renovation of the iconic W New York-Times Square. Developed in collaboration with the property’s initial designer, award-winning interior design firm Yabu Pushelberg, the renovation of W New York-Times Square combines form, function and style with cutting-edge design to create a cool urban escape in the heart of New York City. The renovation of W New York-Times Square represents a key milestone as the brand continues to update its initial portfolio while expanding into vibrant, primary destinations throughout North America and internationally. A New York-born brand, W Hotels Worldwide currently has five hotels in Manhattan and will open two new hotels in the area in the next year with the debuts of W Hoboken this spring and W New York-Downtown in early 2010.

“Innovation and transformation have been central to the W brand since its inception,” said Eva Ziegler, Global Brand Leader, W Hotels Worldwide and Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts. “As we begin to evolve the brand from a New York-centric phenomenon to a global powerhouse by tripling our portfolio in the next three years, the renovation of the iconic W New York-Times Square hotel is a key milestone in developing a consistent brand portfolio.”

One of the first W Hotels in the brand’s growing portfolio, W New York-Times Square debuted in December 2001 as an alluring and sophisticated escape, quickly establishing itself as the coolest place to see and be seen in New York. Seven years later, Yabu Pulshelberg was engaged to renovate the hotel’s 509 guestrooms and suites, which have been re-imagined to capture the energy of Times Square while providing a sleek and glossy refuge from the bustling city.

To create an urban escape perched high above the city streets, each room glows with dramatic highs and lows of light and color bringing an element of techno-glam cool. All rooms feature an innovative, modern, and highly functional work area, topped with a sleek metal and glass surface that supports the many needs of W travelers – where drinks can be shaken and stirred or emails can be scribed and sent under the focused glow of a sculptural lamp. At the window, a shapely, undulating lounger encourages chilling out before going out. In addition, each room offers guests a variety of entertainment options, from W Hotels’ signature “Munchie” Box (W Hotels’ re-invention of the traditional Mini Bar), retro-designed Tivoli radios, iPod docking stations, and large flat-screen televisions mounted for rotation to ensure comfortable viewing from anywhere in the room.

New design features in the bathrooms echo the aesthetic of guestrooms, making the space feel more expansive with sultry frosted glass doors and walls. The closet, washed in a bold flash of color, has been designed to fully organize guests’ wardrobes.

Fantastic Suites (W Hotels’ approach to a Junior Suite) take the techno-glam energy from guestrooms and enliven the space with expansive city skyline views set against a bold color palette that is magnified with a cool dose of electrifying blue. Featuring an abundance of comfortable living and lounging space, a sleek plane adorned with a flat screen television seems to float between the bedroom and living room, separating work from play with style and innovation.

Completely transformed, Sweat Fitness Center has been redesigned to provide health conscious guests with state-of-the art Techno Gym equipment including treadmills, elliptical and weight machines to provide a muscle-toning and pulse pounding workout. Attached to the fitness center, a separate stretching room provides an area for relaxation, stretching or private instruction by a trainer which can be arranged through the hotel’s Whatever/Whenever® concierge service. Additionally, six techno-glam guestrooms are now located on the same floor allowing fitness fanatics the ease of being only steps away from Sweat Fitness.

“New York is the epicenter of fashion, design, music and entertainment, all passions of the W brand” said Vera Manoukian, Area Managing Director, W Hotels of New York. “As the category buster and leading innovator, W Hotels will continue to refuel our cool in New York City with upcoming revitalization projects, including the renovations of W New York–Times Square and W New York–Union Square in 2009.”

With 10 years of proven success, W Hotels will triple its global footprint by 2011, with expansion into vibrant primary destinations around the world, from Paris to Milan, Barcelona to London, Santiago to Vieques Island, Dubai to Doha, Hollywood to South Beach, and Shanghai to Bali. W Hotels has forever changed the hospitality landscape with a series of industry firsts in the past 10 years, including: transformation of the hotel lobby into the W Living Room experience; introduction of the W brand’s signature Whatever/Whenever concierge service as a vehicle to fulfill every guest’s dreams; extension of the lifestyle experience into retail through W Hotels the Store; a sensorial multiplex experience with branded W CD compilations released each year; reinterpretation of the hotel mini-bar into the W “Munchie Box” to present the brand’s lifestyle point of view; and reinvention of the presidential suite into W’s “Extreme Wow” and “Wow” suites.

For more information on W New York-Times Square, please visit www.whotels.com/newyork.

About W Hotels Worldwide®
W Hotels is an innovative luxury lifestyle brand and the hotel category buster with 28 properties in the most vibrant destinations around the world. Inspiring, iconic, innovative and influential, W Hotels provides the ultimate in insider access to a world of “Wow.” Each hotel offers a unique mix of innovative design and passions around fashion, music, entertainment, design, architecture, pop culture, and everything in between. W Hotels are unique and individual expressions of modern living, reflected in the brand’s sensibility to a holistic lifestyle experience with cutting-edge design, contemporary restaurant concepts, glamorous nightlife experiences, and signature spas. With 10 years of proven success, W Hotels will triple its footprint by 2011. In North America and Latin America, W Hotels have been announced in Austin, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Hoboken, Hollywood, Huntington Beach, Downtown New York, Santiago, South Beach, and Washington, D.C. In Europe, W Hotels have been announced in Athens, Barcelona, London, Manchester, Milan, Paris and St. Petersburg. In Asia, W has announced properties in Bangkok, Guangzhou, Macao-Studio City, Shanghai and Yokohama. In Africa and the Middle East, W has announced properties in Marrakech, Amman, and Dubai. W has plans to open W Retreats in Bali, Koh Samui, Vieques Island and Verbier, the latter of which will serve as W Hotels’ first ski retreat. For more information, visit www.whotels.com.

About Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg
George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg, one of the most exciting design duos in the luxury interior design arena, create signature environments for a diverse and often high-profile international clientele within the specialized retail, hospitality, and restaurant sectors. With offices in New York City and Toronto, Yabu Pushelberg has collaborated with some of the world’s leading entrepreneurs and innovators, including W Hotels, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Thompson Hotels, Hyatt, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts and Peninsula Hotels; Prada, Louis Vuitton, Bergdorf Goodman, Tiffany & Co. and Lane Crawford. George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg were named “Designer of the Year” by Contract magazine and have also been inducted into the Interior Design magazine “Hall of Fame.” Most recently, the firm received Interior Design ‘Best of Year Awards’ for their work on the Hazelton Hotel in Toronto and on the Lane Crawford department store in Beijing. For more information, please visit www.yabupushelberg.com.