Sydney, Australia – February 25, 2015 – Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced the appointment of Ashley Hansen as Regional Director for Sales & Marketing and Starwood Sales Organisation in the Pacific.

Ashley is returning to Australia after ten years to undertake his dual role, where he will be responsible for all aspects of sales and marketing management within the Pacific, championing some of the region's most valuable assets. He will work with and provide strategic guidance to the sales and marketing teams across the entire portfolio of 23 Starwood Hotels & Resorts, ensuring Starwood remains a leader in the market. Ashley will also oversee Starwood's Sales Organisation with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland and soon to open in Brisbane.

Ashley, who will be based at the Starwood Pacific Sales Offices in Sydney and joins the team from Le Royal Méridien Shanghai, where he held the position of Area Director of Sales & Marketing, East China and Director of Sales & Marketing for Le Royal Méridien Shanghai. During his tenure, Ashley was responsible for driving the overall sales and marketing strategy for all of Starwood's nine distinctive brands within the East China region, overseeing 39 hotels in total. He also led the Sales & Marketing team at the 761-room Le Royal Méridien Shanghai.

Prior to this, Ashley held the position of Executive Assistant Manager of Sales & Marketing at W Tapei and was with the hotel since its opening in 2010. Under his direction, W Taipei became the market leader and a highly recognised institutional hotel in only three years, completely repositioning the hospitality environment in Taiwan.

Sean Hunt, Regional Vice President, Starwood Pacific Hotels and Managing Director, Sheraton on the Park believes Ashley will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new role and welcomes him to the team.

“Ashley has demonstrated excellent leadership skills in his previous roles with Starwood. His exceptional strengths in sales and marketing, revenue management and business intelligence, along with his passion for exceptional service delivery, make him an obvious choice to lead Starwood's Sales & Marketing operation across the Pacific region,” Sean said.

After ten years away, Ashley is excited to return to Australia.

“I am thrilled to be returning to Australia and working with the excellent regional team we have based here. This is a really exciting time for Starwood, especially in the Pacific where our footprint continues to enjoy solid growth, and I look forward to working with the team to further strengthen and grow our current portfolio and competitive edge,” Ashley concluded.

Ashley is an excellent example of Starwood's commitment to cultivating talent and internal career advancement. Joining Starwood in 2004 when the company acquired Le Meridien, Ashley worked in various regional sales positions for Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts in Australia, before moving to Malaysia in 2005, for the role of Director of Sales & Marketing at Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur. In 2008, he took on the role of Director of Sales & Marketing for The St. Regis Singapore before accepting the pre-opening role at W Taipei. 

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 1,200 properties in 100 countries, and 181,400 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, and Element®. The Company boasts one of the industry's leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG®), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

About Sheraton on the Park

Featuring 557 luxury guest rooms including 50 suites, Sheraton on the Park is the only five star hotel on Hyde Park and is renowned for being the benchmark of classic hotels in Sydney. The property features the Sheraton Club on Level 21, complimentary internet access in the Link@Sheraton, a Health Club with stunning rooftop pool and a variety of food and beverage outlets offering guests extensive dining options. The hotel stands in one of the city's most desirable locations in the heart of Sydney's business and premium shopping district. The Hotel was awarded Hall of Fame Recipient for both 'Function Venue of the Year' in the 2011 TAA (NSW) Awards for Excellence, and 'Best Luxury Accommodation' at the 2012, NSW Tourism Awards.