Logo 'Westin Hotels and Resorts'

STAMFORD, Conn. – Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced that its Westin brand will soon inspire wellbeing in Wilmington, Delaware. Opening in March 2014, The Westin Wilmington will be connected to the Chase Center right at the heart of the city’s recently revitalized waterfront district. Owned by a joint venture between The Buccini/Pollin Group and Westport Capital, and managed by PM Hospitality Strategies, Inc., the newly constructed Westin hotel will provide 180 spacious rooms, the River Rock Kitchen restaurant, ample meeting space and spectacular views of the downtown Wilmington skyline and the entire Delaware Valley.

“We are thrilled to introduce our Westin brand to Wilmington as part of the city’s ongoing redevelopment of the waterfront district, which is now the city’s leading entertainment and cultural center,” said Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader for Westin Hotels & Resorts and Le Meridien. “The Westin Wilmington will be the perfect spot for both business and leisure travelers to recharge and revitalize with the help of all the Westin brand’s signature programs and amenities, designed to send them home feeling better than when they arrived.”

Located at 818 Shipyard Drive, The Westin Wilmington will be directly connected to The Chase Center, the city’s premier meeting and convention facility. The new hotel will offer easy access to the restaurants, shops, entertainment and cultural venues in the waterfront district including Frawley Stadium (home of the Wilmington Blue Rocks), Delaware Theater Company, Delaware Children’s Museum, Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts and the 15-screen Penn Cinema, featuring IMAX offerings.

“We are delighted to expand our relationship with the The Buccini/Pollin Group to introduce the Westin brand to Wilmington’s upscale, waterfront district where we will help meet the growing demand for high-caliber lodging,” said Allison Reid, Senior Vice President of North America Development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. “On track to open its 200th hotel in 2014, Westin is one of the most sought-after brands for new developments in key markets across North America due to the phenomenal success of its distinctive wellness positioning, innovative products and brand-led programs.

The Westin Wilmington will provide 100,000 square feet of market-leading meeting space, ideal for weddings, social galas and business functions. Additional facilities will include a Legal Center serving law firms needing secure space while trying cases in Delaware, the full-service River Rock Kitchen restaurant, a WestinWORKOUT® Gym, indoor pool and 24-hour Business Center.

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 Wilmington will feature the world-renowned Westin Heavenly® Bed – featuring lush sheets, down cushioning and a patented pillow-top mattress, which cradles and contours to the body for complete comfort. 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 hotel will also offer the Westin brand’s signature SuperFoodsRX® menu, which includes nutrient-rich and delicious options to tempt every palate.

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 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 190 hotels and resorts in nearly 40 countries and territories, is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,162 properties in nearly 100 countries and 171,000 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 Element®. 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 .

About The Buccini/Pollin Group

Buccini/Pollin is a privately held, full-service real estate acquisition, development and management company with offices in Wilmington, DE, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York City. Buccini/Pollin has developed and acquired office, hotel, multifamily, retail, and sports/entertainment properties in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. Buccini/Pollin has acquired or developed over $3 billion in assets, including six million SF of office, industrial, and retail space in 64 commercial buildings, 24 hotels, and six major residential communities. Buccini/Pollin is the largest privately held office landlord in the Philadelphia region.

About PM Hospitality Strategies, Inc. (PMHS)

PMHS manages full-service and select-service hotels in the Starwood, Hilton, Marriott and Choice families of brands. The company provides development, technical consulting, on-site management, and accounting expertise. PMHS currently manages 23 hotel projects with over 4,000 hotel rooms throughout the United States. Based in Washington, DC, the company manages all of Buccini/Pollin’s hotel assets, providing development, technical consulting, on-site management, and accounting expertise. PMHS has participated in the development and acquisition/renovation of dozens of hotels with a market capitalization of $1 billion. PMHS is an approved management company for all leading hotel brands.