Starwood Preferred Guest(R) Program Takes Home 10 Awards at the 20th Annual Freddie...

Starwood Preferred Guest(R) Program Takes Home 10 Awards at the 20th Annual Freddie Awards

Starwood Preferred Guest, launched in 1999, has won over half of
all hotel program awards, more than any other hotel company
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.--(Business Wire)--
Last week, Starwood Preferred Guest took home ten awards at the
20th Annual Freddie Awards, including winning the majority of
international awards, such as Hotel Program of the Year in the Asia
Pacific region for the tenth consecutive year and in the Europe/Middle
East/Africa region for the second consecutive year. Since the program
was introduced in 1999, frequent travelers from around the world have
recognized Starwood Preferred Guest as the hospitality industry's
top-rated loyalty program. This year Starwood Preferred Guest was
honored with such accolades as Program of the Year, Best Customer
Service and Best Award Redemption, among others. More than 600,000
frequent travelers worldwide cast online ballots to determine the
winners.

Starwood also took home top honors in the Best Affinity Credit
Card category for the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from
American Express for the second year in a row. Starwood Preferred
Guest American Express card offers greater benefits and richer
rewards, making it easier than ever for consumers to earn free nights
at more than 860 Starwood hotels and resorts around the world and
award flights with more than 30 airline partners.

Known as the frequent travelers' answer to the Oscars, Freddie
Awards recognize the best loyalty programs in the world. The awards
are voted on by frequent travelers around the world via an Internet
survey sponsored by Inside Flyer magazine, giving those who travel
most the opportunity to voice their opinions on favorite airlines,
hotels and credit card loyalty programs. The Freddie Awards have grown
in stature and importance over the past 20 years and are regarded as
the most prestigious consumer-generated travel awards in the industry.

Starwood Preferred Guest Program's total award win includes:

-- Program of the Year - Asia Pacific and Europe/Africa/Middle
East

-- Best Web Site - Europe/Africa/Middle East

-- Best Elite Level - Asia Pacific and Europe/Africa/Middle East

-- Best Award Redemption - Asia Pacific and Europe/Africa/Middle
East

-- Best Customer Service - Asia Pacific and Europe/Africa/Middle
East

-- Best Affinity Credit Card - Americas

"We are thrilled that our members once again recognized Starwood
Preferred Guest with a number of Freddie awards," said Chris Holdren,
Vice President of Starwood Preferred Guest and Global Web Services for
Starwood. "We have won 96 Freddie awards since we launched in 1999,
more than anyone else, and we are proud to offer our members benefits
that continuously make their travel experience better and have become
a benchmark in the way the travel industry does business. Starwood is
a global company and winning the majority of international Freddie
awards is a great honor."

Starwood Preferred Guest made headlines when it launched in 1999
with a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates and no restrictions on
the number of rooms available on any night of the year. The program
boasts an unrivaled portfolio of award-winning hotels and resorts to
earn and redeem that includes some of the world's most celebrated
hotel brands: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Le Meridien, Westin,
Sheraton, W and Four Points by Sheraton. Starwood Preferred Guest also
offers members the ability to redeem awards at more resorts, more
luxury properties, more European hotels and more golf properties than
any other hotel program, which has proven to be a big draw for the
world's most frequent travelers, and a significant competitive
advantage.

For more information about Starwood Preferred Guest, or
reservations, please visit www.spg.com.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) is one of the
leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately
890 properties in more than 100 countries and 145,000 employees at its
owned and managed properties. Starwood(R) Hotels is a fully integrated
owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with the
following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis(R), The Luxury
Collection(R), Sheraton(R), Westin(R), Four Points(R) by Sheraton,
W(R), Le Meridien(R), 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.

(Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements
within the meaning of federal securities regulations. Forward-looking
statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and
involve risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause
actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated
at the time the forward-looking statements are made. These risks and
uncertainties are presented in detail in our filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe the
expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based
upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our
expectations will be attained or that results and events will not
materially differ. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or
revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.)

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Mary Jane Orman, 914-640-5287
maryjane.orman@starwoodhotels.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008