Sales closed to affiliate of Host Hotels & Resorts.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced that it has closed on the sale of the Westin Europa & Regina hotel in Venice Italy to an affiliate of Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.

This hotel is part of the portfolio of 35 hotels to be sold to Host. The closing of this hotel was deferred as a result of certain notice periods and consents that had not been received prior to the closing of the sale of 28 of the hotels on April 10, 2006 and four hotels on May 3, 2006.

The hotel will remain in the Starwood system and continue to be managed by Starwood under a long-term management agreement.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 850 properties in more than 95 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) and the recently announced Aloft(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, including any statements as to whether or when the transaction with Host is expected to be consummated. 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.)