SAN FRANCISCO, CA – APRIL 29, 2009 – Meryl Kirschenberg has been named Director of Sales & Marketing at The Westin St. Francis and Area Director for Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Northern California.

In her new positions, Kirschenberg is responsible for leading the sales and marketing team at The Westin St. Francis and Starwood’s citywide sales force. In these roles, she will provide strategic direction and implement successful sales and marketing tactics to achieve hotel revenue goals. Kirschenberg’s other main job duties include driving the public relations and advertising efforts for The Westin St Francis and providing support to Starwood Hotels’ sales and marketing efforts within Northern California.

Kirschenberg brings more than 30 years of sales and marketing experience in the hospitality industry to her new positions. Over the course of her extensive career, she has overseen the acquisition and transformation of many large-scale, full-service hotels around the country. Employed since 1995 by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc., Kirschenberg was most recently Director of Pre-Opening Strategy and Operations, New Builds and Transitions where she focused on the opening and relaunch of several W and St. Regis properties in Atlanta, New York, Washington DC, Boston and Miami. Previously, she held the position of Corporate Task Force Director of Sales and Marketing. In this position, Kirschenberg oversaw the conversions of Sheraton Bloomington Hotel, Minneapolis South and Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, and the openings of W Dallas and St. Regis Fort Lauderdale. In addition, she provided sales and marketing support to Starwood Waikiki and Sheraton Bal Harbour.

About The Westin St. Francis

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 930 properties in approximately 97 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft^SM, and Element^SM.  Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.