WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. / Jan. 18, 2001-- Effective today, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. HOT assumes management of the former DoubleTree Hotel at Liberty Center in Pittsburgh, renaming it The Westin Convention Center, Pittsburgh.

The 618-room hotel is owned by Liberty Center Venture, a partnership of Forest City Commercial Group and Jos. L. Muscarelle, Inc., and is scheduled to begin a $10 million renovation program during the first quarter of this year. Renovations are anticipated to be completed within a period of two years, and will refurbish all meeting space and guest rooms, including the addition of Westin's signature Heavenly Bed®.

Located in downtown Pittsburgh's Liberty Center, a mixed-use development including retail and a 504,000 square foot office building, the hotel is connected via an enclosed walkway to the 131,000 square foot David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The convention center is currently undergoing a $328 million expansion program to be completed in 2003, which nearly triples the exhibit space.

"Westin prides its experience in the convention business and is delighted to add another property to its collection of quality convention center hotels," remarked Norman MacLeod, executive vice president of operations for Starwood. "The hotel will greatly benefit from the increased demand of the convention center's expansion, and will also be an integral part of its future success," he continued.

A proposal to expand the hotel by 504 guest rooms and 44,000 square feet of meeting space has been submitted to the area's Sports and Exhibition Authority for review. Currently, the hotel offers 25,000 square feet of meeting space that accommodates up to 1,200 people, an indoor pool and whirlpool, fitness facilities, sauna and steam baths. The hotel is also the home of The Original FishMarket Restaurant.

In Pittsburgh, Starwood also manages the 292-room Sheraton Station Square Hotel, currently undergoing a $25 million renovation and expansion project that includes a 97,000-square-foot tower with eight meeting rooms and 104 guest rooms.

Westin Hotels & Resorts, with more than 120 hotels and resorts in 25 countries, is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Starwood is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 725 properties in 80 countries and 120,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. With internationally renowned brands, Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchiser of hotels and resorts including: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton and W brands, as well as Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For reservations or more information please call (800)-WESTIN-1, contact your travel counselor or visit www.westin.com.

Gretchen Kloke
914-640-5236
Starwood