FUZHOU, China--Sep. 17, 2012-- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced the opening of the Sheraton Fuzhou Hotel in Fuzhou’s newly built, modern business district in China’s Fujian province. The hotel is owned by the Zhonggeng Group, and the introduction of the Sheraton brand to this vibrant, bustling port city represents Starwood’s vigorous expansion plan in China, extending its footprint to gateway cities as well as emerging markets across the nation. The Sheraton brand’s impressive global pipeline is being fueled by phenomenal demand in China with 12 new Sheraton hotels slated to open across this fast-growing market by year’s end driven by strong demand in second and third tier cities.

“We’re excited to bring the Sheraton brand to the Fujian province and its capital city. Not only is Fuzhou one of the key trading ports in China, it is the provincial political, economic and cultural center as well as an industrial powerhouse,” said Hoyt Harper, Global Brand Leader, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. “With strong demand and an increasing affinity for international brand hotels in Fuzhou, and as the first international five star hotel on Exhibition Island, we are very confident that the Sheraton Fuzhou’s premier facilities and warm services will offer guests an unparalleled hospitality experience in this dynamic new business center.”

Sheraton Fuzhou Hotel fulfills a growing demand for upscale accommodations among business travelers, MICE planners, and convention participants. Situated in the heart of Fuzhou's newly developed commercial district, the hotel is conveniently located beside China’s largest exhibition center, the Cross-Straits International Conference and Exhibition Centre, on the banks of the Minjiang River. Sheraton Fuzhou Hotel also offers easy access to the city’s transportation network. It is about 8 kilometers from the Fuzhou South Railway Station, 14 kilometers from the Fuzhou Railway Station, and 45 kilometers from Fuzhou Changle International Airport.

Sheraton Fuzhou Hotel boasts 396 exquisitely appointed rooms and suites comprised of Deluxe, Premier, River-view and upgraded Club Room categories and offering a full range of amenities, including the plush, all-white Sheraton Sweet Sleeper® bed, designed using the AAA Five Diamond Award® criteria, high speed internet access, and luxurious bath and body products. The heart of the lobby features the Link@Sheraton® experienced with Microsoft®– a social hub in the lobby providing complimentary WiFi and PC workstations so guests can surf the internet, email loved ones, review local attractions and print boarding passes while on the road. Guests can also indulge in signature spa treatments at Shine Spa for Sheraton and keep fit through the brand’s revolutionary new health and fitness program, Sheraton FitnessSM programmed by Core Performance, designed exclusively for Sheraton guests through its partner Core Performance.

Three restaurants provide a range of world class cuisine. Feast®, the Sheraton brand’s signature all day dining restaurant, indulges guests with international favorites, while Yue® Chinese restaurant specializes in authentic Cantonese fare, focusing on locally sourced and sustainably produced ingredients. Japanese restaurant Miyabi showcases the freshest foods in an innovative Japanese style. The comfortable Lobby Lounge serves refreshing cocktails, premium spirits, and freshly brewed coffee – an ideal venue for relaxing and socializing with colleagues or family members.

The hotel’s 4,200 square meters of function space includes a 1,800 square meter pillar-free Grand Ballroom that can be separated into three individual rooms and 17 other meeting and conference rooms, ranging from 48 to 400 square meters in size.

For more information on Sheraton Fuzhou Hotel please visit www.sheraton.com/fuzhou and for more information on Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, please visit www.sheraton.com or Facebook. Follow Sheraton on Twitter.

About Zhonggeng Group
The Zhonggeng Group was founded in 1997 with an initial capitalization of 800 million Chinese Yuan. The company now has over twenty subsidiaries throughout mainland China and Hong Kong and as of 2011 has grown its assets to over 10 billion Chinese Yuan and employs more than 2,000 staffs. The Zhonggeng Group properties serve over 50,000 owners around China with 6 million sqm in current development. The company also holds over 10 thousand acres of land reserves for future developments. Since 2009, The Zhonggeng Group has completed 30 developments in 5 regions and has grown by a steady 30% year on year.

For over 15 years, The ZhongGeng Group has been pursuing its mission to "create with quality and build with heart". In 2011, Zhonggeng Group set a development goal to "settle in a new city every year". In 2012, the ZhongGeng Group will embark on a new multi-district and multi-oriented development strategy to achieve their goal. The strategy will center upon the development of new urban districts away from established urban centers and branch out from the development of residential projects to the development of new commercial projects. With the development of our product, service, brand and culture as our key pillars, the overall purpose of Zhonggeng Group is to become one of the foremost integrated service providers for urban development in China.

About Sheraton Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,112 properties in nearly 100 countries and 154,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood 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 ElementSM. 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 also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands.  For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

(Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and involve risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made. These risks and uncertainties are presented in detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained or that results and events will not materially differ. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.)