Starwood has opened The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center, an upscale hotel located just outside of the city of Chicago - in the rapidly growing suburb of Lombard, Illinois -

Operated by a wholly owned subsidiary of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc, The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center is the 150^th Westin hotel to open worldwide, a milestone that the brand will celebrate with the release of 150 butterflies at today's ribbon cutting.

Owned by The Village of Lombard, The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center offers a refreshing blend of downtown sophistication, superior facilities and sensory-rich products and services. The hotel is ideally situated in the heart of the Lombard/Oak Brook business and shopping corridor, 12 miles southwest of O'Hare airport and 21 miles from Chicago Midway Airport. Nearby attractions include upscale shopping, the Brookfield Zoo and Wrigley Field – home of the Chicago Cubs. Just 20 minutes from downtown Chicago, The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center offers easy access to numerous attractions including the Art Institute of Chicago and Sears Tower.

"With its sophisticated style, instinctive service and distinctive, local cuisine, The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center is a highly anticipated addition to our growing portfolio," said Sue Brush, senior vice president at Westin Hotels & Resorts. "Guests can now choose from six hotels in the Chicago area making it the city with the most Westin rooms in the world. We're thrilled The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center is our 150^th hotel."

In the lobby, the Westin "sensory welcome" evokes a sense of tranquility with its combination of white tea scent, music and mood lighting. Inviting guests to relax and restore themselves while on the road, the hotel offers 500 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites, all outfitted with The Westin Heavenly Bed®, Heavenly Bath® and high-speed Internet access. A variety of innovative services and amenities are available including the Westin in-room spa program, and Unwind - A Westin Evening Ritual^SM, which transforms the hotel lobby into a gathering spot where guests can enjoy activities such as wine tastings, live jazz or massage clinics. Additional amenities include the Westin WORKOUT® Powered by Reebok fitness center and a heated indoor lap pool.

Top notch dining at The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center includes Chicago's legendary Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse, specializing in aged prime steaks, chops and Italian favorites. A Chicago original, Harry Caray's offers award-winning food and a veritable museum of baseball history in an energetic, casually elegant setting. Adjacent to Harry Caray's is Holy Mackerel, a fresh seafood restaurant with a modern vintage feel. The Westin also offers a lively cocktail lounge and 24 hour in-room dining.

"We are excited to be a part of the growing community here in Lombard," said Brent Menzel, general manager of The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center. "We believe that business travelers, meeting planners and visitors will be delighted with the Westin emphasis on personal renewal and the innovative signature services that have earned Westin worldwide recognition."

Designed to be the premier hotel and conference center in Chicago's Western suburbs, The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center offers 39,000 square feet of elegant meeting and event space, including 26 function rooms and the largest grand ballroom in the area. Also available is a junior ballroom with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the reflection pond – a perfect venue for weddings and banquets. All areas of meeting space are equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual facilities, a public address system and complimentary, wireless high-speed Internet access.

"We are confident that our abundant conference space and renewing signature services will make this hotel the first choice for corporate events, meeting planners and business executives," said Sara Marach, Director of Sales and Marketing of The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center.

The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center will be implementing many new green initiatives throughout the hotel including hotel-wide recycling, green laundry and kitchen elements, energy-saving lighting and carpet to improve indoor air quality. Guests can opt to reuse towels and linens and recycling bins will be available in rooms and common areas. The hotel will also be one of the first Westin hotels to use environmentally friendly products in its laundry and kitchen facilities.