Starwood Hotels & Resorts Continues Expansion Momentum In India With Signing Of Eleven New Contracts

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Continues Expansion Momentum In India With Signing Of Eleven New Contracts

May 14, 2007

The Luxury Collection Makes a Grand Entrance into India
with Seven New Properties


    WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. and SINGAPORE, May 14
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announces eleven new
franchise agreements with ITC Limited.  Illustrating
Starwood's strategy to aggressively grow its footprint in
India ¨C the fastest growing Asia Pacific market for
international spending ¨C the franchise agreements also
represent the introduction of The Luxury Collection brand
and the expansion of the Sheraton brand into the country.
As a result of Starwood's expansion into India, travelers
will soon have access to 23 hotels in the country under the
Sheraton, Westin, The Luxury Collection and Le M¨¦ridien
brand umbrellas.  

    "We are thrilled to introduce The Luxury
Collection brand to India and to expand the footprint of
the Sheraton brand, perfectly complementing our existing
portfolio of properties," commented Miguel Ko,
President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Asia Pacific. 
"We are eager to embrace the tremendous growth
opportunities in both the gateway and secondary cities of
India."

    As part of the agreement and following significant
renovations in recent months, seven existing Sheraton
hotels in India will be re-flagged under Starwood's The
Luxury Collection brand.  Additionally, franchise
agreements for three existing Sheraton hotels have been
extended and an existing Welcomhotel in Delhi will be
re-branded as a Sheraton.  The seven Luxury Collection
hotels are located in Bangalore, New Delhi, Agra,
Hyderabad, Mumbai and Kolkata and the four Sheraton
properties are located in Chennai, Jaipur and New Delhi. 

    The Luxury Collection ITC Mughal - Agra

    The Luxury Collection ITC Mughal Agra hotel is situated
near the center of the city of Agra on 35 acres of
beautifully landscaped lawns and gardens and in close
proximity to the Taj Mahal. Among its accolades, the hotel
has received the Aga Khan Award for excellence in Mughal
Architecture and has been awarded the British Safety
Council's Sword of Honour Award for its commitment of
safety.  The hotel offers 285 guestrooms, over 6,000 square
feet of meeting facilities and a Taj Mahal viewing
observatory.

    The Luxury Collection ITC Windsor Manor - Bangalore 

    The garden city of Bangalore, with its pleasant
year-round climate and cosmopolitan atmosphere, provides
the graceful setting for The Luxury Collection ITC Windsor
Manor. The hotel's architecture dates back to the British
Regency period, with 240 guest rooms and suites designed to
re-create the elegance and fine living of the era. The hotel
is located three miles from the center of the city and seven
miles from the airport. With a fully equipped business
center and seven meeting rooms, the hotel is ideal for
business and leisure travelers alike.

    The Luxury Collection ITC Kakatiya - Hyderabad 

    Commemorating the legendary spirit of the Kakatiya
dynasty, The Luxury Collection ITC Hotel Kakatiya envelopes
each guest in Kakatiya art and sculpture. Overlooking the
picturesque Hussain Sagar Lake, The Luxury Collection ITC
Hotel Kakatiya offers 188 elegantly furnished rooms and
suites, along with state-of-the art business and conference
facilities.  The hotel is ideally located in the new
commercial heart of Hyberabad and is just six minutes from
the airport. 

    The Luxury Collection ITC Sonar Bangla - Kolkata   

    The Luxury Collection ITC Sonar Bangla is located in
Kolkata - commonly referred to as the intellectual capital
of the country. Surrounded by 16 acres of lush greenery and
water, the hotel boasts a relaxed, yet luxurious ambience
with 238 guestrooms, eight meeting rooms and the finest
leisure facilities, including a spa, tennis courts, and a
chip-and-putt golf course.  The hotel's Executive Club
Rooms are also the largest in the city in their category.

    The Luxury Collection ITC Grand Central-Mumbai 

    The vibrant center of Mumbai is now home to The Luxury
Collection ITC Grand Central, Mumbai. India's tallest
hotel, at 30 stories, the hotel reflects the colorful
patchwork of cultures that the city is known for ¨C its
colonial past, modern present, old English charm, warm
Indian hospitality, as well as modern facilities for
business and leisure travelers.  The hotel offers the
finest business and leisure facilities, 242 guest rooms and
suites and 6 conference suites.  

    The Luxury Collection ITC Grand Maratha-Mumbai 

    Located a mere 10 minutes from the Mumbai International
Airport, The Luxury Collection ITC Grand Maratha celebrates
the spirit of Mumbai, the economic powerhouse and the
entertainment capital of India. Designed in a classical
style, the hotel reflects Mumbai's Victorian past and the
blending of its local cultures.  This prestigious property
offers 386 elegantly appointed guestrooms that include
Deluxe, Luxury and Presidential Suites, as well as
extensive meeting facilities.  The hotel is also close in
proximity to the business districts of North and Central
Mumbai and is within commuting distance from South Mumbai.

    The Luxury Collection ITC Maurya - New Delhi    

    Located in New Delhi's exclusive diplomatic enclave,
the Luxury Collection ITC Maurya is only a 20-minute drive
from the airport and city center.  The hotel offers 440
rooms, in a range of categories, including uniquely
designed suites, exclusive ITC One rooms, Luxury rooms,
Tower rooms and Executive Club rooms.  The hotel also
offers a Ladies Only Eva Floor exclusively for female
travelers.  The hotel features a banquet hall, as well as
seven boardrooms for meetings and the award-winning Bukhara
North India restaurant.

    Sheraton Chola Hotel, Chennai

    Ideally situated in the bustling commercial capital of
Chennai, the Chola Sheraton is located in the city where
the British chapter of Indian history began.  The hotel is
just seven miles from the airport, three miles from the
railroad station, and one mile from downtown Madras.  The
hotel welcomes guests with 92 oversized guest rooms and
suites, concierge services, as well as five meeting rooms.


    Sheraton Park Hotel & Towers, Chennai

    Just seven miles from the airport, Sheraton Park Hotel
& Towers is situated in the heart of one of India's
most thriving and exciting cities, Chennai. The hotel
offers 283 well-appointed guest rooms and suites, eight
meeting rooms, an outdoor swimming pool as well as six
restaurants and bars for guests.  

    Sheraton Rajputana Palace Hotel, Jaipur

    Strategically located near Jaipur's city center and the
international airport, Sheraton Rajputana Palace Hotel,
Jaipur features 216 guestrooms, six meeting rooms and four
restaurants and lounges. 

    Sheraton New Delhi Hotel, New Delhi

    Located in the serene residential area of Saket,
Sheraton New Delhi Hotel is just 5 minutes away from the
nearest Golf Course and the trendy PVR Anupam Cinema
Complex & Entertainment center, 15 minutes from
Historic Qutab Minar, and 35 minutes from the Indira Gandhi
International Airport.  The hotel offers 220 guestrooms,
including 67 Executive Club rooms and six conference
suites

    About The Luxury Collection

    The Luxury Collection is famed for its collection of
over fifty-five magical hotels, including the Hotel Danieli
in Venice, the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens, the Hotel
Imperial in Vienna and The Phoenician in Scottsdale, USA.
As the third largest luxury hotel chain in the world, The
Luxury Collection ( http://www.luxurycollection.com ) is
dedicated to providing our global guest with an exceptional
level of service that is crafted to meet their personal
needs and expectations, nothing less will do.  Our local
ambassadors will ensure that each stay is an enriching
experience of the senses, with a flare for exploration and
adventure. This is what it means to be part of The Luxury
Collection Brand.

    About Sheraton Hotels

    Sheraton, the largest brand of Starwood Hotels &
Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) has more than 394
hotels in 65 countries.  Starwood Hotels & Resorts 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 M¨¦ridien(R) and the recently announced
AloftSM. 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 . 

    (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.)


    For more information, please contact:

     Hwee Peng Yeo
     Director of Corporate Communications Manager, Asia
Pacific
     Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. 
     Tel:   [phone] 
     Email: [e-mail]