W London-Leicester Square To Open In 2010
	Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced the opening of W London-Leicester Square and The Residences at W London-Leicester Square in late 2010.
Redefining contemporary luxury with its innovative design, signature amenities and whimsical style, W London-Leicester Square will be built on the site of the former Swiss Centre building in the heart of Leicester Square. This sleek, new hotel will feature 194 luxurious guest rooms and 10 two-level, luxury branded residences, as well as a signature spa, fitness facility, a world-class destination restaurant and W's exclusive Living Room experience where guests are invited to mix, mingle and relax in a stylish social atmosphere. "As part of the W brand's global expansion, W London-Leicester Square will provide a unique alternative for our global guests while facilitating their discovery of one of the world's most fashionable cities," said Roeland Vos, President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East. "W London-Leicester Square will offer escape, exclusivity and innovative design in the heart of London's most dynamic district." Story continues below ↓ Advertisement Further accelerating the W Hotels' aggressive international expansion, W London-Leicester Square will be the newest hotel to join the W Hotels brand's growing portfolio in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. By the opening of W London-Leicester Square in 2010, W Hotels will have doubled the size of its property portfolio globally. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) is partnering with one of Northern Ireland's leading construction and property development companies, McAleer & Rushe Group, to open W London-Leicester Square as part of a 10-story, mixed-use development. Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels represented McAleer & Rushe in the operator search and negotiations for the Leicester Square hotel. The stylish public spaces in W London-Leicester Square's flirty, cosmopolitan escape will be complemented by the innovative design of the hotel's luxurious appointed guest rooms and suites. W London-Leicester Square's 194 rooms include nine suites, two WOW Suites and one Extreme WOW Suite, all featuring custom-made furnishings, stylish accents unique to London, W's signature "munchie boxes" stocked with exclusive amenities, and the highly acclaimed W bed, a luxurious ensemble featuring a feather-top mattress, 350 thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets and goose-down comforter. Guest rooms will offer the latest in cutting-edge technology and the most advanced in-room entertainment systems in the industry. Leicester Square is the epicenter of London's entertainment scene and host to numerous high-profile movie premiers and celebrity events throughout the year. W London-Leicester Square will provide an exciting new venue for such events, while serving as a sophisticated urban sanctuary for discerning travellers and local insiders. The hotel's vibrant and highly desirable location gives guests access to the city's finest theaters, restaurants, lounges and nightclubs and is within walking distance to Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus. W London-Leicester Square will also provide guests with fully wired, innovative meeting space and the brand's exclusive Whatever/Whenever(R) service, a 24-hour concierge that provides whatever guests want - from box seats at a Premier League game to a private shopping excursion at Harrods - whenever they want it. "Attracting a prestigious global brand like W Hotels to the UK only adds testimony to the major significance of our Leicester Square project," said Eamonn Laverty, Managing Director of McAleer & Rushe. "This new mixed-use development of hotel, retail and leisure will create a highly visible landmark gateway to Leicester Square and forms part of McAleer & Rushe's wider involvement in the regeneration of London's West End." W London-Leicester Square, will be the newest hotel in the UK for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT), joining sister properties under the Sheraton(R), Le Meridien(R), St. Regis(R), Westin and The Luxury Collection(R) brands in London, Heathrow, Birmingham, Edinburgh, and Ayrshire.