St. Regis Hotels & Resorts Expands Polo Presence to New Markets Around the World Including the Middle East and Asia

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. HOT, continues to celebrate its commitment to the international sport of polo, participating in spirited polo matches and hosting marquee events for the first time in Abu Dhabi and China, while also revisiting Thailand, Singapore and Argentina. Following the brand's recent debut in the Middle East, a St. Regis team played an exhilarating match at Pink Polo in Abu Dhabi, held at The Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club on November 10^th 2012. In Thailand, the St. Regis Ladies' team will participate in the Queen Sirikit St. Regis Pink Polo match in Pataya on November 17th at the Thai Polo Club. Only last month, the St. Regis USA Team played at the Royal Salute Gold Cup 2012 China Open Polo Tournament, marking the brand's first foray into polo in China, and St. Regis returned to the Singapore Polo Club in September this year as the official hotel sponsor for the Singapore Open.

“St. Regis has become a leader in the world of polo, and it is exciting to see our programming expand to new vibrant destinations such as Abu Dhabi and China, two regions of significant growth for the brand,” says Paul James, Global Brand Leader for St. Regis Hotels & Resorts. “We look forward to furthering St. Regis' polo legacy and inviting guests to discover remarkable polo experiences around the world.”

St. Regis has long been associated with the world of polo, beginning at the turn of the 20^th century when polo matches on Manhattan's Governors Island were the highlight of the New York social calendar and St. Regis' founding family, the Astors, were preeminent patrons of the sport. Today, St. Regis continues to share its passion for the ‘Sport of Kings', providing guests with access to one-off polo experiences throughout the year.

Most recent polo programming includes St. Regis' first polo event in Abu Dhabi which took place between the 8th and 10th of November, where a St. Regis team played in the Pink Polo match at Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club, supporting one of the most important breast cancer awareness campaigns in the Middle East. Team members and guests met world-renowned Argentinean polo player and St. Regis Connoisseur, Ignacio “Nacho” Figueras during the run-up to the match. Nacho also hosted a private polo experience for Starwood Preferred Guest members at the Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club followed by a lunch hosted at The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi as a part of the SPG Moments program, which offers members a series of auctions for exclusive and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Taking place later this month, the St. Regis Ladies' team will participate in the Queen Sirikit St. Regis Pink Polo match in Pataya, Thailand on November 17th at the Thai Polo Club. Invited VIP guests will enjoy St. Regis rituals including Afternoon Tea and St. Regis signature Bloody Mary cocktails. St Regis continues to support the highest level of polo played anywhere in the world in November with its sponsorship of the Most Valuable Player award at the 119th Hurlingham Open in Buenos Aires.

Earlier this year, St. Regis returned to the Singapore Polo Club as the official hotel sponsor for the Singapore Open, which took place September 4th – 9th. During the tournament, St. Regis hosted an exclusive Midnight Supper evening to celebrate the polo festivities as well as a St. Regis Polo Sunday Brunch at The St. Regis Singapore. On September 18^th – 23^rd, the brand participated in the much awaited and highly competitive Royal Salute Gold Cup 2012 China Open Polo Tournament as team USA's sponsor as well as the official hotel partner for the tournament, hosted at Tang Polo Club in Beijing. The international polo teams competing in the tournament included Royal Salute China, King Power Thailand, Ratio England, Coco Republic Australia and St. Regis USA. Over 300 VIP guests enjoyed watching the matches from the St. Regis VIP marquee hosted by The St. Regis Beijing, which featured St. Regis rituals including Afternoon Tea, elegant jazz music and the signature Bloody Mary cocktail, first created at the original St. Regis Hotel in New York over 75 years ago.

For more information on the St. Regis brand's exclusive polo offerings and events, please visit www.stregis.com/polo.

About St. Regis Hotels & Resorts

Combining classic sophistication with a modern sensibility, St. Regis is committed to delivering exceptional experiences at over 30 luxury hotels and resorts in the best addresses around the world. Since the opening of the first St. Regis Hotel in New York City over a century ago by John Jacob Astor IV, the brand has remained committed to an uncompromising level of bespoke and anticipatory service for all of its guests, delivered flawlessly by signature St. Regis Butler Service. From Bal Harbour to Bangkok, Saadiyat Island to Shenzhen, the St. Regis brand caters to a new generation of luxury travelers and continues to thoughtfully build its portfolio in the most sought after destinations at the heart of today's grand tour. Plans for the brand to expand its legacy include much-anticipated St. Regis Hotels & Resorts in the Riviera Maya and in Asia, where St. Regis has announced plans to open hotels in Changsha, Chengdu, Kuala Lumpur, Lijiang, Nanjing, New Delhi and Zhuhai. Additionally in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, St. Regis will continue to expand in Abu Dhabi, Amman, Dubai and Mauritius. For more information on St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, please visit www.stregis.com, to explore our recent debuts visit www.stregis.com/newgrandtour and for the privilege of residential ownership, please visit www.stregis.com/residences.

(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.)