STAMFORD, Conn.--Feb. 20, 2013-- Picking up momentum in markets across the globe, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced plans to open its first Westin hotel in Sacramento, California. The Westin Sacramento is scheduled to open in April 2013 alongside the Sacramento River. Owned by Urban Commons/Brighton Management, the 100-room property formerly known as Le Rivage Hotel will undergo a $3.2 million renovation prior to re-opening under the Westin flag.

“We look forward to opening our first Westin hotel in the beautiful and dynamic city of Sacramento, as we continue to grow the brand in key destinations across the globe,” said Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader for Westin Hotels & Resorts. “Upon completion of renovations, The Westin Sacramento will showcase all of the brand’s signature services and amenities, designed to send guests home feeling better than when they arrived.”

The Westin Sacramento will feature 100 guestrooms and suites, many with balconies overlooking the river, 7,000 square feet of meeting and function space, a full-service restaurant, outdoor pool, spa, and fully renovated WestinWORKOUT® fitness studio, where guests will have plenty of choices for cardio, strength and stretching.

The sensory-rich environment at Westin offers a respite from the rigors of travel and sets a welcoming tone. The Westin brand’s innovative programs and instinctive service transform every aspect of a guest’s stay into a revitalizing experience. All guestrooms and suites at The Westin Sacramento will offer the world-renowned Westin Heavenly® Bed – an oasis of lush sheets, down and a patented pillow-top mattress, which cradles and contours to the body for truly restorative sleep. Guests will revive in the Heavenly® Bath enhanced with the brand’s Heavenly® Shower, Heavenly® Robe and White Tea Aloe bath amenities, and in-room high-speed Internet access. The hotel will also feature the Westin brand’s signature SuperFoodsRX® menu, which includes nutrient-rich and delicious options to tempt every palate.

“Westin is attracting a growing number of conversion opportunities, especially in more mature, metropolitan markets,” said Allison Reid, Senior Vice President of North America Development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. “The phenomenal success of the Westin brand’s distinct positioning has generated fierce loyalty among global travelers and inspired a growing number of owners and developers to reposition existing assets under the Westin flag.”

Located at 4350 Riverside Boulevard, The Westin Sacramento will be convenient to numerous shops, restaurants, art galleries and museums, the Sacramento Convention Center Complex and the campus of California State University. Guests can delve into Sacramento’s Gold Rush days in nearby Old Sacramento, visit the Sacramento Zoo or catch a show at one of several nearby theaters. Sacramento International Airport (SMF) is just 20 minutes from the hotel.

Westin Hotels & Resorts, like all brands within Starwood’s robust portfolio, is proud to offer the Starwood Preferred Guest® program, which made headlines when it launched in 1999 with a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates on Free Night Awards. SPG® offers members the ability to redeem awards at more resorts, more luxury properties, more European hotels and more golf properties than any other hotel program.

For more information on Westin Hotels & Resorts, please visit www.westin.com, Facebook or follow Westin on Twitter

About Westin Hotels & Resorts
Westin Hotels & Resorts offers innovative programs that transform every aspect of a stay into a revitalizing experience. All Westin signature services – like the Heavenly Bed, delicious SuperFoods and WestinWORKOUT studio – have been designed with the guests’ well-being in mind. Westin hotels, with more than 190 hotels and resorts in nearly 40 countries and territories, is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,134 properties in nearly 100 countries and 171,000 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

About Urban Commons/Brighton Management
Urban Commons is a Los Angeles-based real estate investment firm which owns, manages and invests in a variety of assets including land, apartment buildings, condominium projects, hotels, retail and commercial properties. Urban Commons specializes in hospitality and residential income generating assets, specifically targeting acquisitions in highly populated, predictable markets. Brighton Management is a privately owned and operated real estate company focusing primarily on hotel development and management and is known for its strategic restructuring expertise. In addition to hotels, Brighton also manages other residential/commercial properties throughout California. With over 26 hotels under management, Brighton is one of the most influential hotel management companies in the industry. The unique strategic partnership of Urban Commons/Brighton have enabled the companies together to generate an unparalleled level of expertise, thus allowing them to quickly yield greater values, penetration and positioning within the hospitality industry. For more information about Urban Commons or Brighton Management, please visit www.urban-commons.com or www.brightonmgt.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.)