Press Release: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
November 3, 2000
WHITE PLAINS, NY -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide (NYSE: HOT) has announced that Hospitality Europe,
owner of Starwood's Hotel Pulitzer in Amsterdam, has completed a US$33 million renovation of the landmark, five
star property located in the city's scenic center. The Hotel Pulitzer now joins Starwood's prestigious Luxury Collection,
alongside hotels such as the Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan and the Prince de Galles in Paris.
Throughout the renovation of the Pulitzer Hotel's 25 historic 17th and 18th Century canal houses, great care was
taken to preserve the original Dutch character while adding luxurious and contemporary features.
``Our commitment to quality is clear,'' said Roeland Vos, European President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
``As Starwood has shown with the restoration of many of the great European Hotels we own, such as the Hotel Europa
& Regina in Venice or the St.Regis Grand in Rome, we treasure the tradition and history of our hotels and place
a high priority on combining grandeur with modern luxuries expected by today's guests. Celebrating its 30th anniversary
as a hotel, the Hotel Pulitzer is now among one of Europe's finest hotels and attracts the upscale independent
travelers it deserves.''
``After investing US$33 million in renovating the hotel, we are delighted to have possibly the most unique five
star hotel in the Netherlands and one which truly lives up to its luxury billing'', said Charles McGregor, CEO
of Hospitality Europe, the owning company of the Hotel Pulitzer.
The hotel lobby and public areas have been redesigned and extended to include a light and modern design Lounge
Bar, the cafe/bar/restaurant Pulitzers with its spectacular 21st Century ``Last Supper'' painting, three courtyard
gardens, an art-deco garden room and the Pulitzers Art Gallery.
In addition to renovating existing meeting and conference facilities, the Hotel Pulitzer has invested in building
new facilities, catering for high-level meetings of all sizes. The ten meeting, conference and banqueting rooms
cater for groups of 10 to 250 persons. A fully equipped business center is open and ready to assist 24 hours a
day.
All 230-rooms differ in size and shape, have new bathrooms with hand-painted Dutch tiles and are elegantly furnished
and decorated to reflect the character and history of the hotel. Interior color schemes accentuate the Dutch design
and original architectural features, such as the exposed, original wooden beams on the ceilings.
Approximately 12 miles from Schipol Airport, in the cultural center of Amsterdam, the Hotel Pulitzer has a private
motorlaunch and is located along the Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht canals within minutes of Dam Square, Royal
Palace, important museums, shopping centers and Anne Frank's house. Seasonal concerts are held regularly in the
courtyard gardens and art-deco garden room with opera concerts starting in October. The Hotel Pulitzer brims with
contemporary Dutch Art throughout, with original paintings in each room and sculptures in the courtyard gardens,
garden room and art gallery. The Pulitzer Art Gallery exhibits paintings from local Dutch artists and will be celebrating
the hotel's reopening with a special exhibition from October 15 for three months. Reservations for the Hotel Pulitzer
can be made through Starwood's reservation office 800-325-3535.
Starwood also operates the Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel & Conference Center and the newly opened Westin
Rotterdam.
Hospitality Europe also owns hotels managed by Starwood in Brussels, Stockholm, Frankfurt and Amsterdam and is
the largest dedicated owner/asset manager of upscale hotels in Europe with 3,200 rooms in eight properties.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in
the world with more than 725 properties in 80 countries and 120,000 employees at its owned and managed properties.
With internationally renowned brands, Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchiser of hotels and
resorts including: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, W brands, as well
as Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval
ownership resorts. For more information, please visit us at http://www.starwoodhotels.com.
SOURCE: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.