Following extensive renovation, the 318-room Guam Palace Hotel is now reflagged as Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort.  Owned by Ken Real Estate Lease Ltd, the resort joins The Westin Resort, Guam ( currently in operation ) to offer travelers to this island all the distinguished signature services and experiences that guests come to expect from these two upscale brands.

"We are delighted with the opening of Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort, a perfect addition to Sheraton�s impressive portfolio of resorts in Asia Pacific.  As the gateway to Micronesia, Guam�s economy has grown rapidly over the pasts 20 years, driven primarily by tourism," said Lothar Pehl, Regional Vice President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Japan, Korea and Guam region.

Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort recently underwent over USD$50 million renovation to its extensive facilities and grounds, including guestrooms and suites, lobby, reception, meeting rooms and restaurants, and has added a new wedding chapel, fitness center, spa and an extensive lagoon. This landscaped lagoon will also be a signature feature of the resort. The resort now offers 318 rooms, 6 restaurants, over 8,000 square meters of landscaped lagoon, an overflowing ocean pool, 740 square meters of meeting space including the largest ballroom in Guam, a wedding chapel, spa, fitness center and a tennis court.   Sheraton Laguna Guam will also be the first international resort to be located on the sunset strip of the island, offering guests magnificent sunset views overlooking the Pacific ocean.
 
Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort also introduced the Link @ Sheraton, a virtual and physical space in the hotel�s public area that enables guests to surf the Internet, email loved ones, review local favorite attractions, or just sit back and relax.  The Link @ Sheraton is one of the many Sheraton initiatives rolled out this year that reinforces the brand�s values of offering its guests signature services and amenities in a warm, comfortable environment that will help keep them to stay connected to what matters to them most.

The debut of Sheraton brand in key cities of Japan � Tokyo and Osaka
 
Starwood Hotels & Resorts opens two new Sheratons in Japan in April: Sheraton Miyako Hotel, Osaka and Sheraton Miyako Hotel, Tokyo.  The opening of these two new hotels in Japan also sets a great foundation for the hotel group�s continuous and active search for opportunities to grow its brands in the key and secondary cities of Japan.
 
�As one of the world�s largest economies, Japan has been very successful with driving tourism through its tourism authority and various travel agencies and programs, growing its tourism arrivals year after year, and is definitely a great opportunity for us to expand our brands in Japan,� commented Lothar Pehl, Regional Vice President for Starwood hotels in Japan, Korea and Guam.
 
Sheraton Miyako Hotel, Tokyo

Scheduled to be reflagged as of April 2007, the hotel has completed some significant renovation work already and will continue to undergo additional renovation to its existing facilities, including more guestrooms and the health club.  Upon completion of the renovation, the hotel will offer 492 guestrooms, 5 restaurants, over 3,000 square meters of meeting space, a health club, a wedding chapel and a Japanese wedding hall.
 
Sheraton Miyako Hotel, Tokyo is located in the highly sophisticated area of Shirokane, in close proximity to the business and commercial districts such as Shinagawa, Ebisu and Shibuya.  The hotel is strategically located near multinational corporations and offers good access to various tourist destinations, hence its popularity with the high-end domestic and in-bound leisure travelers locally and internationally.

Sheraton Miyako Hotel, Osaka

Scheduled to be reflagged as of April 2007, Sheraton Miyako Hotel, Osaka will undergo additional renovation to its existing facilities, including the guestrooms and meeting facilities.  Upon completion of the renovation, the hotel will offer 575 guestrooms, 7 restaurants, 400 square meters of meeting space, a health club and three wedding chapels and wedding halls.
 
Sheraton Miyako Hotel, Osaka is located in Uehonmachi in Osaka, adjacent to a major railway station: Kintetsu Railway Uehonmachi Terminal.  The hotel is conveniently located for both business and leisure, with close proximity to various cultural landmarks of Osaka such as Osaka Castle and Shitennoji Buddhist Temple as well as the business districts.    The hotel is about 40 minutes by train from Kyoto, the cradle of Japanese culture and civilization, and about 2.5 hours by train from Tokyo, the capital city of Japan.
 
Sheraton, the largest brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) has more than 394 hotels in 65 countries.  Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 850 properties in more than 95 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. 

Hwee-Peng Yeo
Director, Corporate Communications
Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts Ltd
6 Temasek Boulevard, Suntec City Tower 4
#40-01, Singapore 038986
Tel : +65 6335 4837
www.starwoodhotels.com