Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) was named one of the Top 50 Companies for Diversity by DiversityInc, in its third annual “Top 50 Companies for Diversity,” survey.

This was the first year Starwood competed for a spot on the respected list, and was chosen because of the hotel giant`s dedication to creating an environment of inclusion and diversity for its customers and more than 105,000 associates worldwide. The results were recently announced on DiversityInc.com, the premier website for diversity-related information, and will be featured in the June/July issue of DiversityInc`s monthly publication.

“Celebrating diversity and inclusion and improving the communities in which we do business are all principles on which Starwood was built,” says Barry Sternlicht, Chairman and CEO of Starwood Hotels. “We are excited and honored to be recognized for these efforts and promise to continue to build upon these principles through Starwood`s diversity business integration efforts, diversity recruitment and establishing new business partnerships with minority businesses and owners.”

Every year the editors of DiversityInc received entries from today`s top companies, including a 50-question in-depth survey focusing on several key areas such as racial and ethnic breakdown of new hires, diversity communications, supplier diversity and metrics, multicultural advertising and philanthropic endeavors - all of which give a good indication of a company`s commitment to diversity.

“We are proud to include Starwood Hotels & Resorts among our Top 50 Companies for Diversity,” said Luke Visconti, Partner/Co-founder DiversityInc. “We are gratified that in its third year, the DiversityInc list has become the standard for top companies to assess where they rank in comparison with the best and more importantly, what they need to do to match the highest level of excellence.”

Starwood values the diversity of people, ideas and cultures. In keeping in line with that statement, the company aims to create an environment of inclusion for associates, guests and suppliers where their talents and experiences are valued and leveraged to provide high standards of performance.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 750 properties in more than 80 countries and 105,000 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

Please contact Starwood`s new, toll-free media hotline at (866) 4-STAR-PR (866-478-2777) for photography or additional information.
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