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Sheraton adds two hotels in Asia

Starwood is opening two new Sheraton hotels in Japan under a franchise agreement with Kintetsu Hotel Systems, Inc., the hotel operating division of Kintetsu Corporation. The Miyako Tokyo Hotel will be re-flagged as the Sheraton Miyako Hotel Tokyo, providing 492 rooms and ample meeting facilities in one of Tokyo’s busiest neighborhoods.

The Sheraton Miyako Hotel Osaka, previously known as the Miyako Osaka Hotel, will offer 575 rooms to guests visiting Osaka, Japan’s second largest city and one of its most important industrial centers. Both hotels will be re-flagged in April 2007.

The addition of these two new hotels highlights Sheraton hotel’s commitment to growing its brand presence in Asia, further accelerating Starwood’s ongoing global expansion. Starwood currently operates 14 hotels and resorts in Japan under the Le Meridien, Sheraton and Westin brand portfolios.

“We are excited that Kintetsu Hotel Systems Inc. has selected the Sheraton flag for these outstanding properties in two of the most important cities in Japan, in an agreement that dramatically enhances Sheraton’s already impressive portfolio in Asia Pacific,” said Miguel Ko, President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Asia Pacific.

The two new Sheraton properties are poised to serve the rapidly increasing number of leisure and business travelers to Japan, as the country intensifies its efforts to boost tourism. According to Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the country aims to double the number of foreign tourists to Japan to 10 million a year by 2010, by directly supporting the tourism industry and attracting business travelers for meetings, conventions and exhibitions.

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“We are confident that the Sheraton brand will strengthen our marketing and sales efforts to drive international business to the hotels and to these destinations, as well as enhance the awareness of these two great hotels in the competitive markets of Tokyo and Osaka. We are also delighted to further expand our partnership with Starwood in Japan,” said Mr. Yasuyuki Suzuki, President of Kintetsu Hotel Systems, Inc. Starwood currently operates The Westin Miyako Kyoto, which is also owned by Kintetsu.

Visitors to the Sheraton Miyako Tokyo Hotel and the Sheraton Miyako Osaka Hotel will experience the Sheraton brand’s warm, intuitive service and signature amenities designed to provide travelers with a sense of community while on the road. Both hotels will feature the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed(R), which includes a cozy array of sensuous linens, plush down pillows, signature blankets and a duvet. Each luxuriously-appointed room is also outfitted with LCD flat-screen televisions, walk-in showers, roomy desks, ergonomic chairs and wireless high-speed Internet access.

“We are delighted to extend a warm Sheraton welcome to both business and leisure travelers to Tokyo and Osaka, offering guests the full-range of Sheraton’s distinctive amenities and services,” said Hoyt Harper, Senior Vice President, Sheraton Hotels.

The Sheraton Miyako Hotel Tokyo

The Sheraton Miyako Hotel Tokyo is located in the highly sophisticated area of Shirokane, close to the business and commercial districts of Shinagawa, Ebisu and Shibuya. Within close proximity to several multinational corporations and tourist destinations, the Sheraton Miyako Hotel is a popular choice for business and leisure visitors, traveling both locally and internationally.

Renovations to the 492-room Sheraton Miyako hotel will include upgrades to the guestrooms and health club. The hotel also boasts five restaurants and more than 9,800 square feet of meeting space, as well as a wedding chapel and a Japanese wedding hall.

The Sheraton Miyako Hotel Tokyo joins an impressive roster of four existing Starwood hotels in Japan’s capital city, including The Westin Tokyo, The Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay, Le Meridien Grand Pacific Tokyo and Le Meridien Pacific Tokyo.

Sheraton Miyako Hotel Osaka

The Sheraton Miyako Hotel Osaka is located in Uehonmachi in Osaka, close to the city’s bustling business district and near Osaka’s finest cultural attractions such as the Osaka Castle and the Shitennoji Buddhist Temple. As the hotel is adjacent to a major railway station, the Kintetsu Railway Uehonmachi Terminal, guests can easily hop on a train for a three hour ride to Tokyo, or a mere 30-minute jaunt to Kyoto, the cradle of Japanese culture and civilization.

Upon the completion of the hotel’s renovations to its existing facilities, including guestrooms and meeting space, the Sheraton Miyako Hotel Osaka will offer 575 guestrooms, seven restaurants, 1,300 square feet of meeting space, a health club, and three wedding chapels and wedding halls.
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