STAMFORD, Conn. STAMFORD, Conn.-Dec. 14, 2012 -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced the opening of The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village. Boasting a prime location within the prestigious waterfront community of Tarpon Point, The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village is Starwood’s first full-service property in southwest Florida. The resort, which was previously known as The Resort at MarinaVillage, features all the Westin brand’s signature guest offerings and programs.

Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, the Caloosahatchee River and San Carlos Bay, The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village features 263 oversized rooms and suites, world-class dining and 25,000 square feet of meeting and function space. Premium resort amenities include a lagoon-style outdoor pool, and access to clay tennis courts, amphitheater, and marina with water sports, cruises and fishing. The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village features a newly renovated WestinWORKOUT® fitness studio, where guests will have plenty of choices for cardio, strength and stretching. Following further renovations, the hotel will also offer a brand-new Westin Kids Club and convert its 4,000-foot spa to a Heavenly Spa by Westin.

“We are delighted to open this extraordinary Westin resort in Cape Coral, a sublime, waterfront community and a popular boating destination,” said Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader for Westin Hotels & Resorts. “The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village is a highly-anticipated addition to our flourishing resorts portfolio, and we expect it will emerge as a leading choice among business and leisure travelers in an area that was previously underserved by high-caliber global hotel brands.”

The sensory-rich environment at Westin offers a respite from the rigors of travel and sets a welcoming tone. The Westin brand’s innovative programs and instinctive service transform every aspect of a guest’s stay into a revitalizing experience. All guestrooms and suites at The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village are equipped with the world-renowned Westin Heavenly® Bed – an oasis of lush sheets, down and a patented pillow-top mattress, which cradles and contours to the body for truly restorative sleep. Guests will revive in the Heavenly® Bath enhanced with the brand’s Heavenly® Shower, Heavenly® Robe and White Tea Aloe bath amenities, in-room and high-speed Internet access. The resort also offers the Westin brand’s signature SuperFoodsRX® menu, which includes nutrient-rich and delicious options to tempt every palate.

Both indoor dining and patio seating are available at Marker92 Waterfront Bar & Bistro, along with an enticing menu of fresh seafood, steaks, sushi and a large wine selection. The Nauti Mermaid Dockside Bar & Grill provides a more casual atmosphere for al fresco dining, as well as live music.

“We are proud to partner with Starwood Hotels & Resorts to open The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village, where we will offer travelers breathtaking water views and all the Westin brand signature services and amenities designed to inspire well-being,” said resort owners Chris Freeman and Brad Hasselwander of Freeman & Hasselwander Resort Properties, L.L.C.

Conveniently located between Tampa and Naples, The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village is just 18 miles from Southwest Florida International Airport and within close proximity of Sanibel Island, Captiva Island, Fort Myers Beach, the Ding Darling Nature Preserve, and multiple nearby golf courses.

Westin Hotels & Resorts, like all brands within Starwood’s robust portfolio, is proud to offer the Starwood Preferred Guest® program, which made headlines when it launched in 1999 with a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates on Free Night Awards. SPG® offers members the ability to redeem awards at more resorts, more luxury properties, more European hotels and more golf properties than any other hotel program.

For more information on Westin Hotels & Resorts, please visit www.westin.com, Facebook or follow Westin on Twitter

About Westin Hotels & Resorts
Westin Hotels & Resorts offers innovative programs that transform every aspect of a stay into a revitalizing experience. All Westin signature services – like the Heavenly Bed, delicious SuperFoodsRX® and WestinWorkout® studio – have been designed with the guests’ well-being in mind. Westin hotels, with more than 186 hotels and resorts in nearly 40 countries and territories, is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT). Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,128 properties in nearly 100 countries and 154,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood 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, Aloft®, and ElementSM. The Company boasts one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest® (SPG®), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands. For more information, please visit www.westin.com

(Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and involve risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made. These risks and uncertainties are presented in detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained or that results and events will not materially differ. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.)