Effective April 2001, Herbert Pliessnig, former General Manager of the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City has been named new General Manager of The St. Regis, New York which is owned and operated by White Plains, New York-based Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT). He succeeds Richard Cotter, who has been appointed Vice President of Operations, Starwood Hotels of New York. Mr. Pliessnig has 35 years of luxury hotel industry experience including a 20-year career with the Four Seasons Hotel Group serving in various management positions with that company since 1981.

Located in the heart of midtown Manhattan at East 55th Street and Fifth Avenue, The St. Regis was built in 1904 by Colonel John Jacob Astor and is a landmark building in the classic Beaux Arts tradition. The hotel and its signature classic French restaurant, Lespinasse, were recipients of this year`s prestigious Mobil Travel Guide Five-Star Award and have won numerous awards in the past, including the Triple A Five Diamond Award. The Mobil Travel Guide ratings committee—an independent network of national culinary and hospitality experts, which evaluate lodgings and restaurants from the traveler`s or diner`s point of view—selects the Five-Star winners.

Mr. Pliessnig will bring a wealth of experience to his new position, having recently served as General Manager of the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City since 1997. Prior to his position as General Manager of the Four Seasons Hotel in New York, Mr. Pliessnig was General Manager of Four Seasons Hotels in Berlin, Los Angeles, Vancouver and The Pierre in New York.

Mr. Pliessnig has an outstanding track record of team management development and is fluent in three languages (English, German, French) having graduated from the Hotel Academy of Salzburg, with a degree in hotel management. He will be responsible for managing The St. Regis New York on a daily basis and ensure that the hotel`s impeccable quality of service and standards are maintained at the highest possible level. Mr. Pliessnig will also have the unique distinction of having served as General Manager of two New York hotels to have received both the Mobil Five-Star Award and Triple A Five Diamond Award.

“We are very excited to have Herbert managing The St. Regis New York. His degree of professionalism and prior experience in managing luxury hotels made him the obvious choice for the job. He is a rare breed that has a proven track record in the hospitality industry,” said Ted Darnall, President, North American Hotel Operations for Starwood. Pliessnig is extremely passionate about the hotel business. He believes that the base of any great hotel begins with hiring employees with the right attitude. “You have to hire employees who are devoted to giving service and then you need to build upon this attitude by constantly motivating your employees. It is important that every time a guest walks through the door he feels that the staff is energized, happy and ready to please them,” says Pliessnig.

A native of Austria, Mr. Pliessnig resides in Manhattan with his wife, Ava and their two children, Celine and Matthias.

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, W brands, as well as Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. SOURCE Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

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