New York Helmsley Hotel Launches $65 Million Transformation in Preparation to Fly the Westin Flag in Spring 2012

Today Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) and Host Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: HST) announced the launch of a $65 million renovation of the historic New York Helmsley Hotel which will fly the Westin flag following the extensive re-branding initiative. Debuting in 2012, the new hotel will join its sister property, Westin New York at Times Square in the prime location of midtown Manhattan. Located just blocks away from both Grand Central Terminal and the United Nations, the hotel will continue to be an iconic New York City landmark while providing guests a premium, signature Westin experience.

The multi-million renovation includes a complete redesign of the hotel’s 774 spacious guestrooms, each boasting over 300 square feet. The hotel will offer the full suite of Westin signature amenities and services designed to inspire wellbeing in a sophisticated and elegant setting including the iconic Westin Heavenly® Bed. The lobby bar/restaurant will be extended to 42^nd street and the entire façade of the building will be completely transformed. More than 15,000 square feet of meeting space will also be renovated. The estimated six-month renovation is expected to take place from January 2012 to June 2012, and rooms will remain open to accommodate guests during the conversion.

"The transformation of the New York Helmsley Hotel into a flagship Westin hotel marks a new era for this historic hotel and its neighborhood,” said Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader, Westin Hotels & Resorts. "From the Heavenly Bed, to WestinWORKOUT® and our in-room spa offerings, these signature Westin amenities at this iconic New York structure will better suit the needs of both business and leisure travelers and will provide our guests a bit of well-being in the center of bustling New York City.”

New Flagship will feature Westin Eco-Friendly Classic Room Design

All 774, 300+ square-foot guestrooms, including 11 one-bedroom suites and one three-bedroom presidential suite, will be undergo a floor-to-ceiling renovation and feature the brand’s eco-friendly Westin Classic design scheme. All rooms will utilize eco-friendly materials such as energy-conserving LED and CFL lights, water conserving low flow plumbing and recycle-able carpet pads, low VOC finishes for casegoods and GreenGuard certified solar shades. The brand’s signature design scheme reflects a simple, refined elegance that provide guests with soothing environment that allows them to relax and be at their best, playing a pivotal role in reinforcing the brand’s identity and wellness strategy.

Meeting Space with NYC Views

The hotel will feature more than 15,000 square feet of renovated meeting and event space featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and 12’ ceilings that provide great New York City views. Five new break-out rooms will be added and the largest space can accommodate 450 guests. Teleconferencing capabilities, fiber optics, and some of the highest bandwidth in Manhattan are a few of the additional amenities.

The hotel’s location in Midtown Manhattan provides stunning views of the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, and East River. The new Westin New York will be the second Westin Hotel in New York City, accompanying the Westin Times Square.

About Westin Hotels & Resorts

Westin Hotels & Resorts makes the healthiest choices irresistibly appealing, so guests leave feeling better than when they arrived. With more than 180 hotels and resorts in over 36 countries and territories, Westin is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Starwood Hotels is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,071 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, 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.