Press Release
April 10, 2001
WHITE PLAINS, NY -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) announces summer 2001 openings of
W Chicago - City Center in the heart of Chicago's ``LOOP'' and W Chicago - Lakeshore located on the city's famous
Lake Shore Drive.
The additions of these properties will bring Starwood's number of W Hotels to 15.
``Chicago has long been an enthusiastic town that has emerged as one of the hottest in the world,'' says Barry
Sternlicht, Chairman and CEO of Starwood. ``The city is a place of unrepressed vision, giving of itself generously,
without attitude or restraint, just like our hotels. We are ecstatic to be entering into this new market, as this
is the perfect place to continue to evolve the W brand.''
W Chicago - Lakeshore
Formerly a Days Inn Hotel designed and built in the 1960s, the W Chicago - Lakeshore has been transformed into
a breathtaking W property with 556 guest rooms featuring panoramas of Lake Michigan, Navy Pier or the city of Chicago.
Hotel features will also include ``Wave'', a signature restaurant and bar by noted restaurateur David Zadikoff;
private meeting spaces throughout the hotel; Midnight Blue, an intimate Rande Gerber bar; and a prominent gathering
venue called ``Altitude'' which rotates 360-degrees, offering panoramic views from the 33rd floor.
Additionally, W Chicago-Lakeshore will house the brand's first retail outlet. This 300 square foot area will further
expand the W lifestyle and let guests take the spirit of W home with them.
W Chicago - City Center
The 390 room W Chicago - City Center has been renovated from the historic Midland Hotel, and is set in Chicago's
famed ``LOOP'' area - the hub of the business and financial district, just steps away from the growing theater
district and State Street shopping.
For meetings and special events, the hotel will offer 11 rooms totaling 12,000 square feet of event space, including
a 4,200 square foot ballroom with a dramatic 25-foot ceiling which keeps all original woodworking, ceiling details
and fireplace.
W Chicago - City Center will also be home to a new bar by renowned nightlife impresario Rande Gerber; a European
inspired cafe called ``We''; and a living room style guest check-in with comfortable chairs and couches. An additional
small bar overlooking the living room will be located on the second floor.
W Hotels' Signature Amenities and Services
Meeting the needs of business travelers, all guestrooms will feature the latest in cutting-edge technology, including
a 27`` color television with ultra-fast Internet access (via an infrared keyboard); a system allowing guests to
set up their own personal, secure E-mail address; high-speed data port connectivity at speeds up to 100 times faster
than conventional data modems; and two phones (one with data port and speakerphone capabilities and another 900MHz
cordless dual-line phone).
W trademarks will also include an oversized desk, upholstered chaise lounge, specially designed room accessories
and natural fabrics throughout. The focus of all guestrooms is the luxurious W bed, with a pillow-top mattress,
250 thread-count linens and goose down comforters and pillows. In addition to the amenities one would expect in
an upscale hotel, the W room will include: a W CD; a coffeemaker with W's own blend of coffee; a lush terry-lined,
cotton pique W bathrobe; custom-formulated Aveda bath products; and witty items in every mini-bar that are exclusive
to W.
W Hotels maintain a service commitment that provides ``whatever you want, whenever you want it.'' Whether it's
a laser printer at 2 a.m., a last-minute tuxedo fitting or a bath filled with chocolate milk, guests need only
ask, and their special requests come to life.
The first W Hotel opened in New York in December 1998. This was followed by the 1999 openings of W Atlanta (February);
W San Francisco (May); W Seattle (September); W Honolulu - Diamond Head (October); W New York - The Court -- The
Tuscany (November); W Los Angeles - Westwood (December); two properties in New Orleans (March 2000); the company's
first international property in Sydney, Australia (May 2000); W Suites - Newark (July 2000); and W New York - Union
Square (November 2000). A total of 19 W Hotels will be open by the end of 2002, including the two Chicago properties,
and one each in Miami - South Beach, Mexico City, New York's Times Square and San Diego.
Starwood 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.
Members of the press: Please contact Starwood's new toll-free media hotline at (866) 4-STAR-PR (866-478-2777) for
photography or additional information.
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Contact:
Starwood Hotels & Resorts, White Plains
Katie Meyer, 914/640-8247
katie.meyer@starwoodhotels.com
or
Diane Briskin, 914/640-5222
diane.briskin@starwoodhotels.com