Starwood Hotels Opens First All-Inclusive Resort

The Debut of The Westin Resort & Spa, Playa Conchal in Costa Rica Accelerates Starwood’s Growth in Latin America

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.--May 11, 2011--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced the opening of its first all-inclusive resort – The Westin Resort & Spa, Playa Conchal in Costa Rica. The property formerly known as the Paradisus Playa Conchal Resort will begin renovation on the hotel’s 406 spacious suites and all public areas, which will be conducted in phases through December 2011. The Westin Resort & Spa, Playa Conchal marks the return of Starwood Hotels to Costa Rica after 20 years, and is the newest member of the Westin brand’s resorts portfolio, which offers 40 resorts in the world’s most sought-after vacation destinations.

“The opening of The Westin Resort & Spa Playa Conchal accelerates the brand’s expansion in Latin America where Westin will open three more properties by the end of 2011 and double its portfolio by 2014,” said Brian Povinelli, global brand leader for Westin Hotels & Resorts. “The Westin brand’s emphasis on wellness plays well in diverse international markets and has fueled our phenomenal global growth. More than 90% of Westin hotels currently in development will open outside the United States.”

Centered around an expansive, lagoon-style pool, The Westin Resort & Spa, Playa Conchal is adjacent to the championship Robert Trent Jones II golf facility and is easily accessible from the international airport in Liberia, Guanacaste. Inspiring wellness with its signature Westin The Spa, the resort features beautiful gardens, luxurious suites, thatch-roofed bungalows, as well as breathtaking vistas. Guests will enjoy a variety of outdoor recreation and nightly entertainment and several restaurants serving both local and international cuisine.

“Costa Rica is an increasingly popular destination for tourists and leisure travelers and a terrific location for our first all-inclusive Westin Resort,” said Osvaldo Librizzi, President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Latin America. “Recent growth in the all-inclusive luxury resort market in Mexico and Central America, coupled with increasing demand from our SPG members for vacation packages have created fertile conditions for our entry in the all-inclusive market.”

Westin currently has six hotels in Mexico and one in Guatemala, and will be opening four more in Latin America during the next two years including The Westin Lima Hotel & Convention Center, Peru; The Westin Guadalajara, Mexico; and two in Panama: The Westin Panama and The Westin Playa Bonita.

“We are especially proud to be associated with Starwood in the management of The Westin Resort & Spa, Playa Conchal,” said Helmuth Sauter, Director of Reserva Conchal. “The conversion of this scenic and restful retreat allows us to maintain our commitment of bringing outstanding all-inclusive service to our guests, while introducing the Westin brand’s signature services and amenities to one of Costa Rica’s most desirable destinations.”

The soothing Westin Sensory Welcome creates an oasis of calm as guests enter the resort with its subtle White Tea by Westin fragrance, gentle music, botanicals and mood lighting. The brand’s world-renowned 10-layer Heavenly BedTM is designed to provide guests with a deep, undisturbed night’s sleep that energizes body and brain. The Westin Heavenly Bath experience transforms guests’ shower or bath time into an intensely rejuvenating spa-like experience.

An ideal venue for weddings, social galas and business functions, The Westin Resort & Spa, Playa Conchal features 6,500 square feet of meeting and banquet facilities, as well as a WestinWORKOUT gym, enabling guests to maintain their exercise program and stay in the best possible shape, physically and mentally.

The Resort was selected by Condé Nast Traveler Magazine as one of the Top 25 Foreign Golf Resort in 2010.

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.

About Westin Hotels & Resorts

Westin Hotels & Resorts makes the healthiest choices irresistibly appealing, so guests leave feeling better than when they arrived. With over 170 hotels and resorts in over 36 countries and territories, Westin is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1051 properties in 100 countries and territories with 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®, and Element SM. 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 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.

About Desarrollo Hoteleros Guanacaste and Reserva Conchal

Desarrollos Hoteleros Guanacaste is a fully owned subsidiary of Reserva Conchal, an upscale mixed-use development located in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Reserva Conchal is an environmentally-sensitive development. Reserva Conchal is a fully owned subsidiary of Florida Ice & Farm Co., a publicly traded company in the Costa Rican stock exchange.

Copyright 2011