Business Travelers Rejoice! "the new tWist in travel" arrives on time at Charleston...

Business Travelers Rejoice! "the new tWist in travel" arrives on time at Charleston Airport

NEW YORK & CHARLESTON, S.C.--(Business Wire)--
aloha! Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) and
its much-anticipated new lifestyle brand, aloft(SM) hotels, are
excited to announce the opening of aloft Charleston Airport &
Convention Center. The new aloft Charleston Airport & Convention
Center will offer an exciting yet affordable place to stay for
travelers looking to work or play in the Charleston area.

Developed and Managed by SREE Hotels, LLC and conveniently located
at the Intersection of International and Tanger Parkway, the 136 room
aloft Charleston Airport & Convention Center is minutes from the
airport and ideal for business and leisure travelers looking for a
respite within a short distance of downtown Charleston and all the
many local attractions.

In the same way that W Hotels broke through the clutter of
conformity in the upscale hotel arena in 1998, aloft is shaking up the
lodging industry with high design at an affordable price point,
accessible technology, style and a social atmosphere.

"We are excited to open our doors in Charleston in the expanding
Center Pointe area" said Brian McGuinness, Global Brand Leader of
aloft and element hotels worldwide. "Guests will find sanctuary from
the road or work in our spacious rooms and spa-like bathrooms. When
they have finished relaxing they are welcome to join the fun at bar w
xyz(SM), sure to be at the heart of the nightlife scene for both
visitors and Charleston residents alike."

"We are thrilled to open the FIRST aloft in South Carolina. The
state-of-the art facility with a contemporary feel will be a
re-freshing addition to the greater Charleston area," said Ravi Patel,
President & CEO of SREE Hotels, LLC.

Additional aloft hotels at airport locations are scheduled to open
at the Philadelphia, Dulles, Portland, Denver, Baltimore, Phoenix,
Jacksonville and Orlando airports.

aloft offers atmospheric public spaces designed to draw guests
from their rooms to mix and mingle. Savvy travelers can read the
paper, work on their laptops via complimentary hotel-wide wireless
Internet access, play a game of pool or grab a drink with friends at
re:mix(SM), the communal lobby area featuring the sassy w xyz bar. The
re:charge(SM) fitness center and splash, the indoor pool, give
travelers options to de-stress and re-energize, while re:fuel by
aloft(SM), a one-stop food and beverage area, offers sweet, savory and
healthy food, snacks and beverages to grab & go, 24 hours a day. Not
just a pretty space, aloft is committed to the environment through its
see green program, which offers such eco-friendly amenities as
preferred parking for hybrid cars and a greener-saline solution in the
splash indoor pool.

Guest rooms feature urban-influenced design, while the centerpiece
of each aloft room is an ultra-comfortable plush platform bed.
Loft-like nine-foot ceilings and oversized windows create a bright,
airy environment. Large, stylish bathrooms complement the guest
experience with oversized walk-in showers and amenities created by
Bliss Spa(R). Each aloft room is also a combination high-tech office
and entertainment center, featuring wireless Internet access and plug
& play, a one-stop connectivity solution for multiple electronic
gadgetry such as PDAs, cell phones, mp3 players and laptops - all
linked to a large, flat-panel HDTV-ready television for optimal sound
and viewing.

Guests of aloft can book their stay directly through
www.alofthotels.com which features the best rate guarantee. Guests
also may book through their local travel agents. In addition, during
the year of aloft hotel's launch--2008--members of the Starwood
Preferred Guest program can earn an unprecedented 8 Starpoints for
every U.S. dollar spent (quadruple the base earning) when they
register and then book a stay at any aloft hotel worldwide until
December 31. Members of the award-winning and industry-leading
Starwood Preferred Guest program currently earn two points for every
dollar spent at a participating Starwood hotel. After racking up their
Starpoints, SPG members can redeem their points for free nights with
no blackout dates at more than 860 hotels and resorts worldwide. The
offer is designed to celebrate the opening of aloft, the eighth hotel
and lifestyle brand to join the Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty
program.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading
hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 900
properties in more than 100 countries and 155,000 employees at its
owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated
owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with
the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis(R), The
Luxury Collection(R), W(R), Westin(R), Le Meridien(R), Sheraton(R),
Four Points(R) by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft(SM), and
Element(SM). Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership,
Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality
vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please
visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

About SREE Hotels, LLC.

SREE Hotels is a hotel development and management company based in
Charlotte, NC. Founded in 1980, SREE has focused on developing and
managing quality hotels with its guests' satisfaction in mind,
franchised with Starwood, Marriott, Hilton, Intercontinental and
Choice Hotels. The company currently has 24 hotels in its portfolio
and 8 under development, scheduled to open in 2009.

Meg Connolly Communications
212-505-8200
meg@megconnolly.com
or
Starwood/aloft hotels
Angela Bliss, 914-640-8334
angela.bliss@starwoodhotels.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008