Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced yesterday plans to open W Manchester in 2010, ideally located in the heart of the city's vibrant warehouse district. Home to indie rock icons, a thriving creative community and legendary record labels, Manchester offers an exceptional setting for the W Hotel brand's latest insider escape. The sleek, new, Ian Simpson-designed hotel will boast approximately 160 luxuriously appointed guest rooms, 7,000 square feet of meeting and event space, a signature spa, fitness facility, a W Hotels The Store retail store, and a world-class destination restaurant. The ultimate expression of contemporary luxury, W Manchester will boast innovative design, exclusive amenities, whimsical style and a lively social atmosphere.

"This eye-catching new hotel will not only energize the city's landscape, but will also give our guests a stylish, new alternative in the chic, modern city of Manchester," said Roeland Vos, President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East. "W Manchester will offer escape, exclusivity and innovative design in the heart of the city's most sought-after neighbourhood, further expanding our fast-growing global portfolio."

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) is partnering with West Properties UK Ltd., a leading construction and property development company, to open W Manchester as part of the lifestyle-oriented 'Origin' mixed-use development. Centrally located on Princess Street, W Manchester will provide an exciting new venue for the city's hottest social events while serving as a sophisticated sanctuary for discerning travellers and local insiders. The hotel's vibrant and highly desirable location gives guests access to the city's finest theatres, music venues, restaurants and bars and is within walking distance to Manchester's main Piccadilly Station.

W Manchester's whimsical public spaces will be complemented by the innovative design of the hotel's lavishly appointed guest rooms and suites, featuring custom-made furnishings, the W brand's signature "munchie boxes" stocked with exclusive amenities, and the highly acclaimed W bed, a luxurious ensemble featuring a feather-top mattress, 350 thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets and goose-down comforter. All guest rooms will offer the latest in cutting-edge technology and the most advanced in-room entertainment systems in the industry.

W Manchester will also feature a 4,000 square foot ballroom as well as more than 3,000 square feet of fully WIRED, flexible meeting space, in addition to the brand's exclusive Whatever/Whenever(R) service, a 24-hour concierge that provides whatever guests want - from a private helicopter tour of Manchester to tickets to the hottest concert in town - whenever they want it.

"We are delighted to be working with Starwood Hotels & Resorts on this project which will launch the highly acclaimed W brand to Manchester" said Colin Roy, Managing Director - Hotels, West Properties UK Ltd. "We welcome the opportunity to bring such an exciting hotel concept to the city of Manchester and we are certain that locals and visitors to the city alike will delight in experiencing the brand's unique style and contemporary sophistication."

W Manchester will be the newest hotel in the UK for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT), joining sister properties under the Sheraton(R), Le Meridien(R), St. Regis(R), Westin(R) and The Luxury Collection(R) brands in London, Heathrow, Birmingham, Edinburgh, and Ayrshire. By the opening of W Manchester in 2010, the W brand will have doubled the size of its property portfolio globally, making W Hotels Worldwide the fastest growing luxury hotel brand in the world.