December 5, 2003 - Marriott International, Inc. announced today that Marriott will operate the Grosvenor House hotel in London's Mayfair district and the Shelbourne hotel on St. Stephen's Green in Dublin, beginning Jan. 31, 2004. Prior to that time Le Meridien will continue to run the hotels under a short-term transitional arrangement. The Royal Bank of Scotland plc (RBS), the owner of the two hotels, plans to complete substantial renovations and improvements to both over the next few years, including guest rooms, public areas and

JW Marriott Hotel (formerly Le Meridien Grosvenor House)  86-90 Park Lane London, United Kingdom

James M. Sullivan, Marriott International's executive vice president - lodging development, said, "We are delighted to conclude an agreement that will bring two legendary properties and prime conference space into the Marriott International system, in two of the most coveted and prestigious locations in Europe."

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. is a leading worldwide hospitality company with over 2,600 lodging properties across 14 lodging and 4 timeshare brands in the United States and 68 other countries and territories. The company is headquartered in
Washington, D.C., has approximately 128,000 employees.