Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc. purchased the hotel from Saudi Sheik Abdul Aziz Bin Ibrahim in January this year. The hotel has operated under the Luxury Collection name, a Starwood brand, since August 1997.

"The historic Fairfax name combined with Westin's brand integrity and established reputation as a high quality, upscale hotel product gives the customers and staff a sense of confidence that the hotel's world-renowned stature will carry on and that the tradition of providing the highest level of service and amenities will be upheld," remarked Fred Kleisner, President and Chief Operating Officer, The Americas for Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc.-Hotel Group.

Located adjacent to the stately mansions of Embassy Row, this residential-style hotel offers the intimacy of a country home in the setting of a world-renowned capital city. Opened in 1927, this historic hotel was the childhood home of Vice President Al Gore and has been the premier choice for Washington society for generations. Located just minutes from the business district, national monuments, museums and historic Georgetown, The Westin Fairfax, Washington, D.C. stands as a landmark symbol of style and grace. The hotel is only 15 minutes from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, a block from the Metro and steps away from Connecticut Avenue's exclusive shops and boutiques.

Each of the hotel's 147 guest rooms and 59 suites reflect the elegance of turn-of-the-century Washington with brocade draperies, overstuffed furnishings and replicas of period antiques. Each room, with views of prestigious Embassy Row, the Washington Cathedral skyline or the historical Anderson House Museum and the lights of Georgetown, offers two dual-line telephones with voice mail, computer and modem capability, cordless telephone, Italian marble bathrooms with hair dryer, remote control color television with cable, in-room refreshment center, in-room safe and plush terry cloth robes. Additional amenities and services include the popular Westin pillows, nightly turndown, feather duvets, lighted vanity mirror and full length mirror.

The Westin Fairfax, Washington, D.C. also offers ten elegantly appointed meeting rooms with more than 7,000 square feet of meeting space accommodating groups up to 300 people, 24-hour room service, multi-lingual concierge, safety deposit boxes, valet parking and a 24-hour fitness center featuring a sauna, weight training equipment, a massage therapist and beauty treatments.

For dining, the hotel is home to the exclusive Jockey Club, a Mobile Four-Star restaurant notable for both its award-winning cuisine and its distinguished clientele including politicians, diplomats and celebrities including former first ladies and worldwide royalty. The Fairfax Bar, an intimate wood-paneled room with wood burning fireplaces provides the perfect setting for evening fare and cocktails.

Guests of The Westin Fairfax, Washington, D.C. will enjoy added benefits unique to Westin. Service Express(R), a "one call does it all" concept exclusive to Westin hotels and resorts allows guests to dial one number on their telephone to order room service, call for a bellman or room attendant or have any other request filled. For an additional $20 per night the hotel offers Westin's Guest Office(R) accommodations which double as offices. Each room features an in-room multifunction laser printer/fax/copier, dual line speaker phone with data port, Macintosh and IBM-compatible computer printer cable and surge protector, ergonomically correct desk chair, task lamp, complimentary newspaper and free local phone calls.

Guests who stay at The Westin Fairfax, Washington, D.C. will be able to earn their way toward free travel in Starwood's new frequent guest program, due to debut in January 1999. With more than 550 participating hotels and resorts in more than 60 countries, including 100 resorts around the world, the new program will not only be the industry's most global, but promises to be the best of the competition with a structure focused on simplicity, flexibility in redemption options and inclusion of all of Starwood's brands. Current members of Westin Premier(R) frequent guest program will continue to earn points when staying at Westin hotels worldwide through the end of the year, at which time, the total balance of unexpired points in all active member accounts will be automatically converted over to the new Starwood program.

The Westin Fairfax, Washington, D.C. joins Westin's historic collection of hotels, including The Westin St. Francis in San Francisco (1904), the Trianon Palace in Versailles, France (1910), The Westin Great Southern in Ohio (1897), The Westin Hermitage in Nashville, Tenn. (1910), The Westin William Penn in Pittsburgh (1916), The Westin Aquila Hotel in Omaha, Neb. (1924) and The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Fla. (1926).

Westin's presence in Washington, D.C. also includes the Starwood-owned Westin Washington, D.C., a 263-room luxury property located at 24th and M streets. Rich Casale has been named Area Managing Director for both hotels and General Manager for The Westin Fairfax, Washington, D.C.

Westin Hotels Resorts, with more than 105 hotels and resorts in 23 countries, is owned by Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., through its Sheraton, Westin and Caesars subsidiaries, has more than 650 hotels in nearly 70 countries with 125,000 employees and is one of the leading hotel and gaming operating companies in the world. Starwood Hotels Resorts is the largest real estate investment trust in the United States. Shares of Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc. are paired and trade together with shares of Starwood Hotels Resorts.

In the Washington, D.C. area, Starwood operates twelve hotels in addition to the two Westin properties. These hotels include The Carlton (a Luxury Collection Hotel), Washington, D.C.; Sheraton City Centre, Washington, D.C.; Capitol Hill Suites, Washington, D.C.; One Washington Circle Hotel, Washington, D.C.; Sheraton National, Arlington, Va.; Sheraton Crystal City, Arlington, Va.; Courtyard by Marriott Crystal City, Arlington, Va.; Sheraton Premiere Hotel at Tysons Corner, Tysons Corner, Va.; The Residence Inn by Marriott, Tysons Corner, Va.; Sheraton Reston, Va.; Bethesda Ramada Hotel Conference Center, Bethesda, Md.; and the Sheraton Suites, Alexandria, Va.