Hawaii's Most Iconic Hotel Boasts the Best Ocean Views in Waikiki with the Opening of the Royal Beach Tower.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) announces today the completion of its multimillion dollar renovation to The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort. Throughout its storied 84-year history, The Royal Hawaiian has embodied the allure of Hawaii's spirit and the essence of indulgent escape while ushering in a new era of luxury travel to the islands. This iconic 528-room property on Waikiki Beach, affectionately known as the "Pink Palace of the Pacific," is poised once again to redefine the luxury experience with the transformation of the Royal Beach Tower.

The Royal Hawaiian is the perfect fit for The Luxury Collection brand, a diverse ensemble of more than 75 of the world's finest hotels and resorts in more than 30 countries that offer unique and indigenous experiences; because throughout its illustrious history, the palatial grandeur of The Royal Hawaiian has left an indelible mark on the history of luxury travel for generations of world-travelers seeking an authentic taste of Hawaii.

The completion of The Royal Hawaiian marks another landmark year for The Luxury Collection on the heels of announcing The Liberty Hotel in Boston as the 100th property to join Starwood's Luxury Brands: St. Regis & The Luxury Collection, and its first in Boston. With this milestone, Starwood continues to stand out as the world's leader in luxury hospitality with more hotels in more markets than any competitors in this segment, offering guests exceptional service levels and luxury experiences in a wide range of destinations across the globe.

"We are extremely pleased to announce the new Royal Beach Tower experience at The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort - one that will offer a luxuriously contemporary setting for discerning global travelers," stated Kelly Hoen, general manager of The Royal Hawaiian. "The Luxury Collection brand allows freedom for each historic resort to exude its own personality, so we have been able to celebrate The Royal Hawaiian's sense of place while offering two distinct experiences from our Historic Wing to the new Royal Beach Tower."

In 2009, The Royal Hawaiian made its debut as a Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts property after re-imagining and renovating the resort's Historic Wing rooms, bringing locally-inspired furnishings, artwork and color templates to the forefront with a nod to the resort's historic past. Now, the redesigned Royal Beach Tower rooms and suites will offer a counterpoint with a distinctly breezy, airy, beach-inspired feel with modern, chic touches, while still maintaining the signature mold of luxury for which The Royal Hawaiian is known.

Celebrating its new beach-inspired theme, the new rooms combine exquisite, contemporary Hawaiian furnishings in light colors reminiscent of driftwood with design elements that tell the story of Helumoa, the area in which this historic property stands. Each room is adorned by lounge chairs and ottomans designed by luxury furnishing leader McGuire, Indonesian tables carved from local tree trunks, Asian-inspired nightstands created by Cheng Meng, lanai furnishings were custom made by Italian furniture-maker Roberti as well as beach glass-inspired lamps. The Tower rooms' redesign also includes a spectacular transformation of the bathroom area with brilliant speckled mosaic glass vanity walls and mirrors. Adding a signature local touch, each room also features original artwork by celebrated local artists Solomon Enos and Carl Pao, who were commissioned to create paintings through inspiration from the hotel and its surrounding area.

The Royal Hawaiian features 35 suites including 18 oceanfront and six two-story exclusive suites, more than 66,000 square feet of beachfront space and world class signature restaurants and lounges, including the world-famous Mai Tai Bar and Waikiki's only beachfront luau. With the completion of the final phase of its renovation to the resort's Royal Beach Tower, this timeless resort has received $70 million in upgrades, making it one of the most iconic Luxury Collection properties in the North American portfolio.

The Royal Hawaiian, A Luxury Collection Resort