Singapore, 5th January 2005 - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc (NYSE: HOT) and Ilan Sky Line Entertainment Company have announced a franchise agreement to operate the first international resort in Yilan County, Taiwan.  The newly built 180-room Sheraton Yilan Resort is scheduled to open in June 2006. 

“With a consistent high level of economic growth over the past few years which is forecast to continue, Taiwan offers good opportunities to tap into the resort market for both domestic and international travelers.  Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide currently operates three hotels in Taiwan (under the Sheraton, Westin and Four Points by Sheraton brands) and the signing of Sheraton Yilan Resort further consolidates our position as the largest upscale international hotel company in Taiwan,” commented Mr. Miguel Ko, President, Asia Pacific Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Worldwide, Inc.   “We are honored to partner with Ilan Sky Line Entertainment Company to establish Sheraton Yilan Resort.   Starwood is well-positioned with deluxe properties in major and secondary cities in Taiwan to cater to the growing number of international and domestic travelers traveling on business and leisure” added Ko.

Yilan, a county situated on the northeast coast of Taiwan, is about 3 hours’ drive from Taipei.  With the completion of a new expressway linking Yilan and Taipei in early 2006, visitors can travel from Taipei to Yilan in just one hour. Yilan is consistently ranked one of the best places to visit in Taiwan, given its picturesque landscape, hot springs and waterfront retreats, attracting on average 3 million visitors annually to the county. 

Sheraton Yilan Resort sits on a mountainous setting with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, Yilan city, natural scenery and tea plantations.  The resort features 180 rooms, over 14,000 square feet of meeting and function space, 8 dining outlets, a health club and spa, 39 Oriental and family hot spring house as well as an indoor swimming pool.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 740 properties in more than 80 countries and 110,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. With internationally renowned brands, Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor 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 www.starwoodhotels.com