Starwood Hotels & Resorts has signed a franchise agreement with Kintetsu Hotel Systems for two new Sheraton hotels in Japan.The Miyako Tokyo Hotel and Miyako Osaka Hotel have been re-flagged as The Sheraton Miyako Hotel Tokyo and The Sheraton Miyako Hotel Osaka respectively. Sheraton is renovating the two properties, both of which are scheduled to open in April 2007.

“We are confident that the Sheraton brand will strengthen our marketing and sales efforts to drive international business to the hotels and to the destinations, as well as enhance the awareness of these two great hotels in the two 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 owned by Kintetsu as well.

Following extensive renovations, the 492-room Miyako Tokyo Hotel and 575-room Miyako Osaka Hotel will be re-flagged as Sheraton Miyako Hotel, Tokyo and Sheraton Miyako Hotel, Osaka respectively, from April 2007.

Sheraton Miyako Hotel, Tokyo: The Sheraton Miyako Hotel Tokyo is located in the 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 domestic and leisure visitors, traveling 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.

Sheraton Miyako Hotel Osaka: The Sheraton Miyako Hotel, Osaka is located in Uehonmachi in Osaka, close to Osaka’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 30-minute ride to Kyoto, the cradle of Japanese culture and civilization, or a three-hour jaunt to Tokyo.

Upon the completion of renovations to its existing facilities, including guestrooms and meeting facilities, 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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