Starwood Hotels & Resorts Selected as Official Hotel and Resort for 34th America’s Cup
Posted on 18 November 2011
The America’s Cup Event Authority today introduced its Official Hotel and Resort, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT). In this capacity, Starwood will provide the event organizers with accommodation and support for the America’s Cup World Series as it travels around the globe, with a major focus on San Francisco and the events of 2013, including the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America’s Cup Finals.
“Starwood’s lifestyle brands attract global consumers with a passion for curated one-of-a-kind experiences like championship racing,” said Chris Holdren, Senior Vice President Starwood Preferred Guest. “With this partnership, our guests and SPG Members now have unprecedented access to all the excitement and adrenaline that the America’s Cup delivers.”
The relationship between the 34th America’s Cup and Starwood represents the continued focus on creating growth for the future. With breakthrough graphics, athlete’s view cameras and onboard microphones that place the spectator at the very heart of the action, the new-look America’s Cup is using leading-edge innovation to propel the sport forward, similar to Starwood’s continued focus in investing in innovation, design and loyalty to win the hearts and minds of their guests.
Craig Thompson, CEO, America’s Cup Event Authority said: “The new America's Cup represents a radical shift in our approach to our fans, and we’re focused on creating a once-in-a-lifetime experience for every person who interacts with the Cup. As we work to deliver what we hope will be the greatest America’s Cup ever, we need partners who are dedicated to the highest levels of customer care, and in Starwood, we’ve found a partner who is an industry leader in that pursuit.”
Starwood also shares a commitment to sustainability with the organizers of the 34th America’s Cup. Starwood believes that economic growth and the well-being of society are inextricably tied to the health of the environment. Accordingly, they embrace their responsibility for environmental stewardship and are committed to integrating leading environmental practices and sustainability principles into our core business strategy. The 34th America’s Cup is also committed to responsible environmental practices. Driven by its commitment to have the 34th America’s Cup be “more than a sport,” the America’s Cup Event Authority (ACEA) has set an ambitious goal with the AC Healthy Ocean Project to develop the world’s largest communication outreach program focused on improving ocean health.
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About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,071 properties in 100 countries and territories with 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels 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, and the recently launched Aloft®, and Element SM. 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 Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.