WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., March 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) officially broke ground yesterday and announced
its partnership with Turner Construction Company to build the 412-room
Sheraton Overland Park, Kansas. On behalf of the Overland Park Development
Corporation, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts will manage the 20-story hotel.
Completion of both the Sheraton hotel and the adjacent Overland Park
Convention Center is scheduled to open in December of 2002. The
317,000 square foot Sheraton will be the official headquarter hotel for
conventions and events utilizing the new 240,000 square foot Convention Center
facility.
Presenting at the ceremony were Kansas Lieutenant Governor, Gary Sherrer,
along with Overland Park Mayor, Ed Eilert, City Council President, Greg Musil
and Executive Vice President, Hotel Operations, Starwood Hotels & Resorts,
Norman MacLeod -- all commemorating the official groundbreaking.
"Sheraton has the experience of operating some of the most successful
convention hotels in the U.S.," said MacLeod. "We look forward to adding this
new facility to our global distribution network and bringing new customers to
Overland Park."
The Sheraton Overland Park will be equipped with new high tech business
capabilities, a full-service restaurant, coffee bar, health club, swimming
pool and the newly designed Sheraton room and signature Sleigh Bed -- new to
the Sheraton brand in 2000. The design of the overall facility will enable
hotel guests the luxury of transitioning from hotel to Convention Center
through connected meeting rooms and covered walkways -- creating one
convenient complex.
C.H. Johnson Consultants, a national convention center consulting company
based out of Chicago, Illinois, have estimated the economic impact of Overland
Park's first full-service Convention Center could be over $80 million annually
when the center reaches full use in 2006.
Sheraton, the largest brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.,
has more than 375 hotels in 67 countries. Guests at Sheraton hotels and other
Starwood properties can take advantage of the Starwood Preferred Guest
program, the only frequent guest program in the industry without blackout
dates.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) is one of the
leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 725 properties
in 80 countries and 120,000 employees at its owned and managed properties.
With internationally renowned brands, Starwood is a fully integrated owner,
operator and franchiser of hotels and resorts including: St. Regis, The Luxury
Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, W brands, as well as
Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators
of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts.
For more information, please visit http://www.starwoodhotels.com
SOURCE Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.starwoodhotels.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/443150.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 443150
CONTACT:
Melissa Henninger of Starwood Hotels &
Resorts Worldwide, 914-640-5268, 866-4-STAR-PR, 866-478-2777,
melissa.henninger@starwoodhotels.com; or Michelle Mendoza of City
of Overland Park, 913-895-6111, mendoza@opkansas.org
NOTE TO EDITORS: Please contact Starwood's new toll-free media
hotline at 866-4-STAR-PR (866-478-2777) for photography or
additional information
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