�We feel strongly about owning a hotel property at exceptional yields in the heart of the Silicon Valley, the global center of technological innovation,� said Laurence Geller, CEO, SHC. 

�Additionally, this acquisition is consistent with our stated objective of having a multi-property relationship with Starwood, and follows on the heels of our recent purchase of the Essex House in New York City. The sales price was attractive, especially when coupled with the proposed initiatives for improvement that Starwood and SHC feel can be implemented quickly,� added Geller.

Located 45 miles south of San Francisco and seven miles northwest of the San Jose International Airport, the hotel adjoins the 262,000 square foot Santa Clara Convention Center. It has one restaurant, a lobby bar, a gift shop, a newly created resort-like pool with cabanas, a health club, 41,420 square feet of banquet and meeting space and preferred tee times and tennis court reservations at the nearby Santa Clara Golf and Tennis Club. All of the guestrooms and guest bathrooms were renovated earlier this year.

The four-star, 505-room Westin Santa Clara acquisition represents the 31st hotel in the SHC portfolio.

A privately held firm founded in 1997, SHC targets upscale and luxury hotels on a global basis for acquisition. It targets larger hotels (200-plus rooms) managed by a group of very select, �preferred� operators. Since its inception, SHC has assembled a portfolio of 30 properties in the United States, Mexico and Europe.

Hotels in the SHC portfolio include the Essex House, A Westin Hotel, New York City; The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, Dana Point, Calif; the Hyatt Regency New Orleans; the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero and the Park Hyatt, both in San Francisco; and the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.  SHC is committed to building approximately 30 percent of its portfolio outside of the United States, said Geller. In Europe, its properties are the Stakis St. Ermins in London, the Marriott Champs Elysees in Paris and the newly acquired Hotel Inter-Continental Praha. In Mexico, SHC owns the Four Seasons, Mexico City. 

According to Geller, future expansion outside of North America will largely focus on Western Europe and Asia.  SHC (www.shci.com) is a privately held limited liability company whose major shareholders include the Whitehall funds and Prudential Insurance Co. of America.