Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) has been named the World`s Leading Hotel Group at the 8th Annual World Travel Awards.

The award ceremony was held on April 10, 2001 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary of the PATA Annual Conference (Pacific Asia Travel Association).

The World Travel Awards recognizes the best in their fields from Africa, Asia-Pacific, The Caribbean, Central & Latin America, Europe, The Middle East, North America and South America. Companies in all areas of the world`s travel and tourism industry are acknowledged for outstanding performance in a total of 152 categories that encompass Quality of Service (Customer Service & Client Respect), Innovation, Distinctiveness and Coverage.

“The distinction of being named the World`s Leading Hotel Group is a direct result of the strength of commitment to service of Starwood associates at every level in all divisions,” said Bob Cotter, chief operating officer for Starwood. “To be recognized as the leader in the global hospitality industry in 2001 truly speaks to the tremendous impact Starwood and its brands has had on the industry in a very short period of time.”

The World Travel Awards Limited was established in 1993 to honor achievements in all areas of the world`s travel and tourism industry. The winners of the World Travel Awards are tallied from votes cast on the official World Travel Awards voting site by selected travel agents worldwide. This year the voting campaign consisted of approximately 100,000 travel agents in more than 200 countries. In the years since its inception, dedicated travel professionals and their clients have come to regard the World Travel Awards as the best endorsement that any travel product can receive.

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. For further information, please visit us at www.starwoodhotels.com.

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