"These rooms have a whole new look and feel," said J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Marriott International. "We heard our guests say they wanted more luxury, comfort and a stylish space they can tailor to work, relax, play, dine and refresh. We pulled elements from some of our best hotels around the world and took the room designs to a whole new level. This is a major step for us, and a home run according to our research."

The room designs are also part of the company's move to bring more variety to its portfolio of hotels and resorts. New and renovated Marriott properties will have more local touches infused into the decor. Renaissance hotels will be highly stylized, fashionable and playful.

The new Marriott Hotels & Resorts guest room was inspired by the Park Lane Marriott in London, which was designed by Richmond International, a world- renowned design firm based in London. The style conveys timeless sophistication that is warm and inviting with ample use of rich cherry wood and yellow and red tones. The look is clean and crisp with simple forms, straight lines and uncluttered surfaces. Upscale touches create a sense of luxury and comfort with more stone, glass and chrome finishes.

A key component of the room is new bedding, which features a feathered mattress topper, 300-thread-count sheets, a white sheeted duvet freshly laundered for each new guest, stylish euroshams, decorative bed scarf and more pillows. The rich wooden headboard extends from night table to night table and offers built-in reading lights.

Elegantly appointed bathrooms, featuring two lush cherry entry doors, warm brown cherry millwork and ample granite countertops, will offer a custom line of Bath & Body Works(R) Energizing Aromatherapy products and Archive(R) personal amenities.

The guest room will incorporate state-of-the-art technology and entertainment elements that include a 32" flat-panel LCD television with 30 watt acoustically perfect speaker systems and greater channel selection. Digital music and data ports for a host of work and entertainment devices will improve both guest productivity and enjoyment. A custom designed pivoting desk and high-back ergonomic chair will provide comfort for business travelers, and high-speed internet access will help keep guests connected to their worlds.

Guest research and testing show strong preference for the new room, and 95 percent of the participants said they "loved" or "liked" the room so much they would dramatically increase their stays with Marriott.

Renaissance Hotels & Resorts, where each hotel has a captivating story, has developed a new guest room that blends fashion and whimsical design with local touches that entertain and engage. Designed by award-winning Cheryl Rowley Designs, Inc. of Beverly Hills, Calif., the new Renaissance guest room is glamorous and whimsical with the highest level of quality and comfort.

It features many signature fixtures, including a sleek sofa chaise lounge with colorful decorative accent pillows and an oversized headboard in strong finishes that will be the artistic focal point of the room. Distinctively styled night stands will add a touch of fashion and whimsy. The combination dresser and desk will have a light honey finish. The dresser features sliding doors with frosted opaque acrylic inserts. The desk provides guests with easy access to high-speed connectivity and data ports.

Upon walking through double doors, guests will enter the contemporary shower-only bathroom in a light honey finish, highlighted by a cantilever vanity bowl. The bathroom's sophisticated lighting and luxury bath amenities by LATHER(R) will provide the ultimate bath experience.

The new Renaissance room will incorporate the recently introduced and more luxurious Renaissance bedding package, which includes 300 thread count sheets, freshly laundered duvet covers, plusher mattresses and more pillows. The new Renaissance guest room will also offer technologically advanced work and entertainment options, including a flat-panel, high-definition LCD television.

In guest surveys, a significant majority -- 80 percent -- said they would be more likely to choose the new Renaissance guest room over its competitors.

Courtyard, Marriott's upper mid-priced brand for business travelers, is also undergoing an aggressive reinvention program in North America that includes fresh, crisp designs for guest rooms, lobbies and public spaces. Reinvented Courtyard properties show double-digit increases in RevPAR and significantly higher guest satisfaction scores. More than 80 Courtyard hotels have been reinvented, with 71 additional properties scheduled through 2005.

Residence Inn, the leader in extended-stay lodging, is in the process of "refreshing" many of its properties throughout North America. To date, the brand has renovated 50 hotels and will "refresh" an additional 50 hotels by year-end 2005. The room design for Residence Inn is modern with residential touches, including a new work station / breakfast bar separating the kitchen from the living area, brighter color scheme and completely updated kitchens and bathrooms. Design changes to the Gatehouse include more comfortable seating and the addition of flat-screen plasma televisions at some properties.

Marriott and Renaissance hotels in North America are also making personal fitness on the road easier with the new "Great Health - Fit for You" program, which offers complimentary-use, in-room fitness options that provide guests with cutting edge exercise choices. Workout offerings, including the BodyRev(TM), BodyWedge21(TM) and Michael Sena's Traveling Trainer, are delivered to guest rooms upon request at full-service Marriott and Renaissance hotels in North America.

Health conscious travelers at Marriott Hotels & Resorts locations can take advantage of the "Fit for You" menu, which offers a selection of carb- conscious, low-cholesterol, low-fat and organically sourced items. Available at breakfast, lunch and dinner, the "Fit for You" program provides hotel chefs with guidelines that they can creatively interpret and use to infuse healthy menu selections with local flavors. "Fit for You" items are also available at bars, lounges, retail shops and through room service.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. is a leading lodging company with more than 2,600 lodging properties in the United States and 65 other countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites, and Bulgari brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club International, Horizons, The Ritz-Carlton Club and Marriott Grand Residence Club brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers. The company is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has approximately 133,000 employees. It is ranked as the lodging industry's most admired company and one of the best places to work for by Fortune(R) magazine. In fiscal year 2004, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of $10 billion.