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 Charlotte's Ballantyne Resort Signs Long-term
Agreement with Starwood's Luxury Collection

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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. Dec. 7, 2004-- - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) announces a long-term agreement with The Ballantyne Resort, a first-class urban luxury retreat, to join Starwood's Luxury Collection of prestigious hotels and resorts. The resort is part of a vibrant live, work and stay community that offers guests outstanding recreational, retail shopping and entertainment options. The Ballantyne Resort is owned and operated by Bissell Hotels of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Southeast's major center for commerce, culture and recreation, the 212-room luxury resort and adjacent 35-room Lodge is situated at the heart of the 2,000-acre Ballantyne mixed-use development that features private residences and 300,000 square-feet of retail space. The Ballantyne mixed-use development currently has 1.5 million square-feet of "Class A" office space and has the ability to build up to five million square-feet making this development one of the largest concentrations of office space in the southeastern United States.

The Lodge is a 42,000 square-foot facility that caters exclusively to upscale corporate meetings and offers a rustic design reminiscent of an Adirondack-style resort. The Lodge features cedar siding and rocking chair porches overlooking a scenic lake and the resort's golf course. It boasts 35 guestrooms, a 2,000 square-foot conference center, four breakout rooms and a "great hall" with 40-foot ceilings comprised of cedar beams, a two-story stacked fireplace complete with comfortable, overstuffed chairs and sofas.

Located minutes away for Charlotte Douglas International Airport, downtown Charlotte and upscale shopping at the exclusive SouthPark Mall, Ballantyne Resort is the consummate "urban resort" offering all of the convenience of a city hotel as well as a renowned golfing experience, award-winning spa and one of the top 25 golf schools in the country. The resort's beautifully appointed conference and meeting facilities serve as host to many of the area's most prestigious conferences and social events.

Under construction and scheduled to open in spring 2005 is The Village at Ballantyne, that will offer high-end retail shopping, numerous dining options and that will also contain a six-screen movie theater that will show art films and offer patrons specialty cheese, fine wines and gourmet coffee.

"The Ballantyne Resort is a welcome addition and perfect compliment to our existing Luxury Collection hotels, which is renowned for its distinctive landmark hotels that are considered some of the finest in the world," stated Stephen Alden, senior vice president of The Luxury Collection and St. Regis Hotels & Resorts. "The Ballantyne Resort offers outstanding accommodations, spa services and a renowned golf course and golf school and is located in one of the most dynamic growth markets in the southeastern United States. This unique resort will serve to meet the needs of travelers seeking the finest accommodations.

"The affiliation of the Ballantyne Resort with The Luxury Collection is a true testament to the vision Howard "Smoky" Bissell and his wife Sara had when the property was developed," stated Bissell Hotels' President Joe Hallow. "Our hope was to create a resort experience that would compete favorably with the finest properties in the world. Our acceptance into The Luxury Collection certainly helps to substantiate that our dream has, in fact, become a reality. The allure of The Luxury Collection is echoed with the superior service, luxurious appointments, and prestigious clientele served by Ballantyne Resort."

To sophisticated travelers worldwide, The Luxury Collection delivers the finest hotel experiences through their unparalleled attention to their guests' needs and preferences, their exceptional and distinctive properties and seamless integration of the customs, culture and environment of each property's locale.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 750 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. 


 
Contact:

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. 
Ellen Gallo
914-640-8167

Ballantyne Resort Hotel
Steve Brooks, 704-248-4072
[email protected]

Also See: After Years of Struggling in Downtown San Diego, the U.S. Grant Hotel Will Undertake a $10 million Renovation, Join Starwood's Luxury Collection / April 2004
15th Century Convent in Evora, Portugal Undergoing Conversion; the 59 room Hotel Convento do Espinheiro Will Join The Luxury Collection, by Starwood / July 2004


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