PHOENIX—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Aug. 19, 2002—Officials from The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa today announced the resort hotel - with its elaborate water park, 20 treatment room spa and 27-hole golf course - will open more than five months ahead of schedule.

The 735-room hotel is being built in the midst of the Kierland master-planned community at the heart of a flourishing commercial and tourism corridor on the border of Scottsdale and Phoenix. The resort had previously announced it would open in December of this year. The new opening date is slated for Nov. 3.
“It`s highly unusual for a property to announce a project is opening ahead of schedule,” said Bruce Lange, general manager of the hotel. “But, we take pride in exceeding our customers` expectations, and opening the resort early is just another example of our commitment to this promise.”

The resort is situated adjacent to the three-year-old development, Kierland Commons, which offers some of the country`s top retailers and restaurants featured in an unique, upscale urban village.

“It`s especially exciting to open in an area that has already been deemed the Mecca of shopping and dining. The Westin Kierland is proud to serve as the final piece of this remarkable development,” Lange added.

The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa:
Starwood will operate the resort under the Westin brand, and it will be the first Westin in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. Starwood also operates The Phoenician, The Wigwam Resort and the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix as well as The Westin La Paloma Resort and The Sheraton Tucson Hotel and Suites in Tucson, Ariz.

“We`ve had a tremendous response from customers interested in staying at The Westin Kierland this fall,” Lange said. “We will achieve our goal to have a fully operational resort upon opening just in time for the holidays and the high tourism season.”

The hotel, which was designed by Hill Glazier Architects, Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif., and interior designer Barry Design Associates of Los Angeles, will provide first-class accommodations featuring 735 guest rooms including 63 suites and 32 casita units; eight themed restaurants and bars; and 160,000 square feet of extensive indoor and outdoor function space featuring several distinctive courtyards with fountains, pools and lush landscape.

Resort amenities include an elaborate water park with a 900-foot river ride; Westin Kids Club facilities; the 27-hole Kierland Golf Club course; and an all-encompassing spa with 20 treatment rooms, a fitness studio and salon.
The hotel will pay tribute to the people, landscape and events that shaped Arizona`s cultural heritage through its theme: “Treasuring the essence of Arizona.” The state`s history is the basis for names selected for The Westin`s restaurants, shops, meeting rooms, suites and courtyards. The resort also will spotlight artwork commissioned by regional artists to add breadth and distinction to the overall theme.

The Westin Kierland is the centerpiece of a 730-acre master-planned community in Phoenix. The hotel is situated on a 33-acre site surrounded by the existing Kierland Golf Club course, which will be integrated into the resort operation. The 27-hole championship facility, which opened in 1996, was designed by Scott Miller and is a member of the Troon golf experience. Its spectacular new 19,000-square-foot clubhouse opened in April 2002.

The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa is a joint venture among entities affiliated with Woodbine Development Corporation of Dallas; the Herberger Interests of Phoenix/Scottsdale; Cook Inlet Region Inc. of Anchorage, Alaska; and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Construction of the resort hotel is managed by Phoenix-based Woodbine Southwest Corporation, a subsidiary of Woodbine Development Corporation, and developer of the Kierland master-planned community, which was launched in conjunction with the Herberger Interests of Phoenix/Scottsdale in 1989.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 740 properties in more than 80 countries and 110,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. With internationally renowned brands, Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts including: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, W brands, as well as Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwood.com

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