NEW aloft HOTEL TO DEBUT IN CHESAPEAKE
With Open-Air Backyards, Communal Gathering Areas, Innovative Loft-Like Guest Rooms and Leading Edge Technology, Chesapeake One of the First To live * life * aloft

CHESAPEAKE, VA - New York, NY – (September , 2006) aloha! Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) and its much-anticipated new select-service brand, aloft hotels, announced today it has signed a deal with LTD Management to develop an aloft hotel in Chesapeake, Virginia. Named aloft Chesapeake, the 136-room property will reflect aloft’s urban-inspired style carrying the DNA of W Hotels with stylish design, accessible technology, and a hip, urban attitude.

Scheduled to open in 2008, the aloft Chesapeake Hotel will be one of the first aloft hotels to open its doors. The hallmark of the aloft concept is its loft-style guestrooms. The bright, airy environments offer nine-foot ceilings and oversized windows, incorporating natural materials like cork and wood. Exposed beams and blackened steel lend to the urban, loft-like environment. A combination high-tech office and entertainment center, each guest room features plug & play, a one-stop connectivity solution for multiple electronic gadgetry such as blackberries, cell phones, mp3 players and laptops, all linked to a large flat panel HDTV ready television. The centerpiece of the room is the ultra-comfortable signature bed, and bathrooms are designed to pamper with oversized walk-in showers and amenities created by renowned retailer Bliss™.

aloft’s public spaces are designed to draw guests from their rooms to socialize or wind down after a long day. The relax communal lobby area and bar w xyz provide a comfortable environment to grab a drink, read the paper, or get work done via hotel-wide internet access. In the backyard, an open-air area, guests can socialize outdoors or attend aloft events. Guest’s needs are satisfied 24-hrs-a-day with re:fuel by aloft, a one-stop food and beverage area offering healthy food, snacks and beverages to grab & go. The recharge fitness center and splash, the indoor or outdoor pool, provide outlets to de-stress and re-energize. aloft properties also feature flexible meeting and function space.

“With aloft, we’re offering a fresh, inspiring and ultimately more fun experience,” said Ross Klein, President of W Hotels. “Just as retailers like IKEA and Target have made great design accessible and affordable, aloft will bring style to a segment of the industry that has been anything but fashionable.”

“We could not be happier to operate one of Starwood’s new cutting-edge hotel brands,” said Neel Desai, Managing Partner of LTD Management. “With Starwood’s global customer base, the power of the W brand behind it and our dedication to outstanding customer experiences, we believe the aloft Chesapeake will be a huge success.”

aloft Chesapeake will be a perfect launch-point for business and leisure travelers. Located at 1500 Crossways Boulevard at the intersection of I-64 and Greenbrier Parkway, the hotel will be near Norfolk International Airport, and a few miles from downtown Norfolk and the Virginia Beach oceanfront. At the edge of the picturesque Atlantic Coastal Waterway, Chesapeake is a virtual gateway to historic Colonial Williamsburg and the Outer Banks recreation area as well as corporate headquarters for a number of major businesses.

Each aloft Hotel features 90-180 guest rooms and incorporates W’s heritage: a total sensory experience, with a focus on design integrity and natural materials as well as attention to stylistic details. Design visionary David Rockwell and the Rockwell Group, whose award-winning projects include the Kodak Theater, Nobu and the W Union Square, collaborated on aloft’s design. In addition to aloft Chantilly, aloft currently has additional sites in various stages of development in Lexington, Mass., Philadelphia Airport, San Francisco Airport, Charleston Airport and Chantilly, Virginia. Just as it is expanding W Hotels overseas, Starwood also plans to aggressively develop aloft internationally, and anticipates the first aloft hotels to open in early 2008, with 500 properties worldwide expected by 2012.

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. Starwood® Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, Sheraton®, Westin®, Four Points® by Sheraton, W®, Le Méridien® and the recently announced AloftSM. 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.