Westin Hotels & Resorts to Open Resort Property Featuring Condo Hotel Residences on the Caribbean Isle of St. Maarten.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.[R] (NYSE:HOT) announced today that the new Westin[R] St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort & Spa will open on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten on December 13, 2006. The property will fly the Westin flag under a license agreement and is developed, owned and managed by Columbia Sussex, developer, owner and operator of more than 85 hotels and seven casinos around the world.

The resort will offer 317 guest rooms and suites (most with ocean views), multiple oceanfront dining options, two lounges, a full-service spa, a casino, retail shops, the island's largest freshwater infinity pool with 17 pool side and beach cabanas, a hot tub, swim-up bar and expansive meeting and event facilities. Ninety-nine for-sale condominiums are located on the resort grounds and comprise The Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Residences. The condominiums are currently under development and range in price from $895,000 to $2 million. Owners will enjoy full access to all of the resort's services and amenities.

"Expansion in the Caribbean is key to our growth strategy," said Sue Brush, senior vice president of Westin Hotels & Resorts. "A resort of this caliber on the magnificent Dawn Beach is an ideal addition to our global collection of hotels. In keeping with the Westin brand promise, guests at The Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach will benefit from relaxation and personal renewal."

Situated on Dawn Beach, the best of the 37 pristine beaches on the 37-square-mile island, the resort and condominium homes feature balconies, French doors and oversized bathrooms. All of the resort's guestroom suites and residences feature the Westin brand's signature Heavenly Bed([R]) and Heavenly Bath([R]). Guests of the resort can also enjoy the WestinWORKOUT([R]) Powered by Reebok fitness facility and WestinWORKOUT([R]) Rooms, for those who prefer to exercise in the privacy of their own room.

Resort dining fuses local island flavor, uncompromising service, quality and spectacular views. Five dining options exist and include "Ocean," the indoor/outdoor casual dining restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily; "Aura," a French/Vietnamese fine dining restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating; "Liquid," the swim up bar and an oceanside deli. Ocean views are a feature at all resort restaurants. Additionally, 24-hour room service is available.

The 10,124 square-foot Hibiscus Spa, specializing in massage, is the largest and most luxurious on the island with 13 treatment rooms. Facials, manicures, pedicures and body treatments are offered, as well. The spa features the Decleor product line which uses aromatherapy and the most active extracts of aromatic plants and essential oils for skincare.

The resort can accommodate events both large and small with more than 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space. Features include approximately 10,000 square feet of outdoor meeting space, three boardrooms and a 10,000 square foot ballroom that can divide into five separate rooms -- eight rooms total making it an ideal destination for weddings as well as business conference venues.

About Westin Hotels & Resorts

Westin Hotels & Resorts[R], with more than 127 hotels and resorts in more than 31 countries and territories, is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Starwood[R] 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 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 Hotels[R], Le ME[umlaut]ridien[R] and the recently announced aloft(SM) and ELEMENT(SM) Hotels. 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 statements are 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.)

    ** Please contact Starwood's new, toll-free media hotline at
                     (866) 4-STAR-PR (866-478-2777)
             for photography or additional information. **