Westin Hotels Sets Sail into Annapolis, MD; Scheduled to Open in Decem

    Business Editors/Travel Editors

    WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 26, 2005--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) announces a franchise agreement with an entity formed by Jerome J. Parks Companies and The Carlyle Group for a new 225-room luxury hotel under its upper-upscale Westin brand as the centerpiece of a new $200 million mixed-use development project, Park Place of Annapolis, MD. The 12-acre development will also consist of two five-story Class "A" office buildings, boutique-style retail, cafes, restaurants, and 208 luxury condominium units. A state-of-the-art performing arts center is also being planned for the project. The hotel will be developed by JBJ/Carlyle Park Place, L.P. based out of Annapolis, MD and will be managed by Davidson Hotel Company based out of Memphis, TN.
    The Westin Annapolis will be located in one of the most historically significant cities in the nation and the one-time capital of the United States. Annapolis is brimming with living history and is also home to the United States Naval Academy, founded in 1845, which sits on more than 400 acres on the banks of the Severn River. Additionally, Olympic sailors who train in Annapolis consider the city "America's Sailing Capital."
    "This hotel is a great new addition to the Westin brand," said Sue Brush, senior vice president, Westin Hotels & Resorts. "Its close proximity to the heavily trafficked Washington-Baltimore corridor is a perfect location for the business traveler conducting meetings in the nation's capital. At the same time its scenic nautical environment and its picturesque Colonial-era charm makes the city an ideal destination for vacation-goers."
    "The new Westin Annapolis is destined to become a landmark of architectural splendor," said Jerome J. Parks, President of Jerome J. Parks Companies. "Not since Annapolis was the capital of our young nation in 1783 has such attention been brought to the city. Annapolis is very deserving of this phenomenal development and the Westin brand is a perfect complement to this exciting Park Place project."
    The Westin Annapolis will be a stately, 225-room full service hotel offering the signature services, design and products that guests have come to know from Westin. The main entrance will face the lively inner pedestrian plaza and central clock tower. Hotel dining will cater to a sophisticated clientele highlighted by a nationally-known third-party restaurant. The hotel will feature 13,000 square feet of meeting space including a ballroom, ideal for social and business events. The hotel will also be equipped with the brand's new WestinWORKOUT(R) Powered by Reebok fitness center.
    Westin brings its upscale products and services designed to deliver unmatched comfort and outstanding service in an environment characterized by an elegant, calming and subdued sense of style. Westin's signature Heavenly Beds(R) will be featured in every room, providing guests with the ultimate in comfort and the best night's sleep possible. Sumptuous, stylish and plush, the all-white Heavenly Bed consists of a custom designed pillow-top mattress set; a cozy down blanket; three crisp sheets ranging in thread count from 180 to 250; a comforter; luxurious duvet; and five of the best pillows in the business. Since making its debut in 1999, the Westin Heavenly Bed has reached near iconic stature, and sparked a bedding revolution in the hotel industry that continues to rage. More than 19 million guests have tucked themselves into a Heavenly Bed on the road including thousands of politicians, sports icons and celebrities.
    The Westin Annapolis will also feature the brand's other "heavenly" product -- its highly acclaimed Heavenly Bath(R), which includes a custom-designed dual showerhead that provides guests with a therapeutic shower spa, featuring several spray options, from light mist to massaging needles and a curved shower rod that adds an extra eight inches of elbow room.
    Westin Hotels & Resorts, with 121 hotels and resorts in 31 countries and territories, is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and was ranked "Highest in Guest Satisfaction Among Upscale Hotels Chains." in the J.D. Power and Associates' 2004 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study(SM) and voted Best Domestic Hotel Chain by Global Traveler Magazine. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 750 properties in more than 80 countries and 120,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. With internationally renowned brands, Starwood(R) corporation is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts including: St. Regis(R), The Luxury Collection(R), Sheraton(R), Westin(R), Four Points(R) by Sheraton, and W(R), Hotels and Resorts 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 www.starwoodhotels.com

    ** Please contact Starwood's new, toll-free media hotline at (866) 4-STAR-PR (866-478-2777) for photography or additional information.**

    About Davidson Hotel Company

    Davidson Hotel Company is headquartered in Memphis, TN and has been in the hospitality business for over 30 years. Davidson has become one of the largest privately held management companies in the hotel industry and currently operates 22 upscale, full-service hotels with approximately 6,300 rooms in such diverse locations as Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Denver, Raleigh, Memphis, Palm Beach, San Antonio, Nashville, Pittsburgh, and Kansas City. Davidson's properties operate under such upscale brands as Sheraton, Hilton, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Marriott and Renaissance.

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--30--MW/ny*

CONTACT: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Ellen Gallo, 914-640-8167 ellen.gallo@starwoodhotels.com Mark Ricci, 914-640-8496 mark.ricci@starwoodhotels.com

KEYWORD: MARYLAND NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: REAL ESTATE BUILDING/CONSTRUCTION TRAVEL PRODUCT MARKETING AGREEMENTS SOURCE: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Copyright Business Wire 2005