Starwood Hotels & Resorts Debuts the Four Points by Sheraton Brand in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Located in the Heart of the City, the New Hotel Will be Part of a Mixed-use Development with Retail, Office and Residential Components

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Thursday, May 5th 2011 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) announces plans to further expand its presence in the Arabian Gulf emirate of Sharjah with the opening of the 220-room Four Points by Sheraton Sharjah Hotel in 2013. Owned by Dr. Hassan Ahmad Ibrahim Al Marzouqi, the hotel will be part of a mixed-use office, residential, retail and hotel development ideally located across from the buzzing Central Soukarea of the city.

According to Roeland Vos, President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa, Middle East (EAME), the partnership is one that dovetails with Starwood’s strategy to expand its portfolio of hotels in the UAE: “We are delighted to partner with Dr. Hassan Ahmad Ibrahim Al Marzouqi as we debut our Four Points by Sheraton brand in Sharjah. With the combination of rich culture and tradition, a robust economy and endless sunshine, Sharjah is poised to revive its position as a major travel destination in the region.”

Located on the King Faisal Road in downtown Sharjah, the Four Points by Sheraton Sharjah Hotel will comprise 187 rooms and 33 suites, an all-day dining restaurant, fitness centre and outdoor pool, four meeting rooms and a business centre. The hotel will also feature all the comfort and hallmarks of the Four Points by Sheraton brand such as the Four Comfort Bed and free wi-fi in public areas.

Expressing his deep comfort and pleasure for signing the Operating Services Agreement of the Four Points Hotel with Starwood, the Owner, Dr. Hasan Ahmad Ibrahim Al Marzouqi, said: “We are very proud to contribute with this prestigious project to the Touristic Industry in Sharjah and the U.A.E. We are very much confident that Starwood, with its vast experience in Hotel operation and management, shall be able to make the new Four Points Hotel in Sharjah a major Tourist and Business attraction in a very short time.”

The Architectural and Engineering Consultants for this Mixed Use Development of which the Hotel is part of are QHC - Architects and Engineers, a U.A.E. Based Leading Consultancy Firm with Offices in Sharjah, Dubai and Beirut.

With convenient access to the airport, retail and business hubs, the Four Points by Sheraton Sharjah Hotel will offer a comfortable environment for both business and leisure guests plus quality standards in both accommodation and facilities.

Four Points by Sheraton Sharjah Hotel 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.

Starwood currently operates three Four Points by Sheraton hotels in the UAE, all located in Dubai. The company has recently signed an agreement to open its first resort in Sharjah with the Sheraton Sharjah Hotel due to open in 2013. Starwood currently operates more than 50 hotels in the Middle East under eight of the company’s nine brands including: The Luxury Collection, St. Regis, Sheraton, Westin, W Hotels, Le Méridien, Four Points by Sheraton and Aloft. Starwood plans to open additional hotels under its Four Points by Sheraton brand in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Syria.

About Four Points by Sheraton

Great Hotels. Great Rates: With 158 Four Points by Sheraton hotels in 27 countries, travelers can find the modern style and timeless comfort they’re looking for with genuine service and great rates, all around the world from Santiago to Shanghai and Milan to Milwaukee, Four Points hotels can be found in big urban centers, by the airport, near the beach, and in the suburbs. A recent $1 billion invested in renovations, conversions, and new-build hotels has made the brand stronger than ever.

Four Points by Sheraton, like all brands within Starwood’s portfolio, is proud to offer the Starwood Preferred Guest® program, which offers a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates on Free Night Awards. To learn more, visit www.spg.com.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1025 properties in 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®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft®, and Element SM. 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 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.

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Contacts

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Jenni Benzaquen

Director Public Relations – Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Europe, Africa & Middle-East

+32 (0)2 204 5494 (Press)

jenni.benzaquen@starwoodhotels.com