Aloft Leawood/Overland Park Hotel Wins Coveted Award For Sales Team Of The Year

Online, May 23, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Famous for bringing "style at a steal" to Leawood, Kansas, Aloft Leawood/Overland Park has just earned another accolade, winning the Sales Team of the Year Award from parent Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT).

Aloft Leawood/Overland Park's triumph came at an annual gathering of associates from Starwood's Specialty Select Brand group across North America. At the Miami event, Starwood recognized top performers among hundreds of hotels in a range of categories. Starwood's Specialty Select Brand group includes Aloft, Element, and Four Points by Sheraton hotels.

"The Aloft brand has always been about shaking up the status quo. Aloft Leawood/Overland Park refuses to rest on its laurels, which is why it's been a hit with guests from day one," said Brian McGuinness, Senior Vice President of Specialty Select Brands for Starwood. "We're proud of all 56 Aloft hotels around the world, but this award is a well-deserved tribute to the exceptional team at Aloft Leawood/Overland Park's."

Jennifer Wilt, general manager of Aloft Leawood/Overland Park, agreed. "Recognition from our peers means a lot to us. I'm proud of my team for their achievements. It's been exciting for us to see how fast Aloft has caught on with guests and our neighbors here in Leawood/Overland Park, and that it continues to be their favorite hotel."

Aloft, the sizzling "style-at-a-steal" brand from Starwood, has been shaking up the hospitality industry since its 2008 launch. Designed for the next generation of traveler, Aloft Leawood/Overland Park features urban-influenced, modern, open, and vibrant design at an affordable price point. Savvy guests can surf or work via complimentary hotel-wide wireless Internet access, shoot a game of pool, or grab a drink with friends in the always-happening re:mix lobby and lounge. The re:chargeSM fitness center and splash, the indoor pool, give travelers options to de-stress and re-energize, while re:fuel, a one stop "grab-and-go" area with an urban cafe feel, offers sweet, savory and healthy food, snacks and beverages 24 hours a day.

Aloft Leawood/Overland Park is managed by San Antonio's based Presidian Hotels & Resorts. Mark Kucera, President/COO, commented, "We are proud of the ongoing commitment and disciplined focus our team demonstrates in exceeding guest expectations, delivering service excellence and creating long term business relationships at our Aloft Leawood/Overland Park. This is a well-deserved award for a team that continuously raises the performance bar despite of any challenges in the economic environment."

"Vibrant and stylish quality accommodations, genuine hospitality and a premiere and exclusive location are some of the key elements that, matched with the talent and the commitment of our team, make Aloft Leawood/Overland Park a true market leader with significant revenue growth for the third year in a row," stated Sergio Cardenas, Corporate Director of Sales & Marketing.

Aloft Leawood/Overland Park is located at 11620 Ash Street
Leawood, Kansas 66211. For reservations, call 1-800-368-7764 or visit fourpoints.com/reservations.

About Presidian Hotels & Resorts
Presidian owns, operates and develops upscale hotel properties and residential projects in six states, and represents flags under the Marriott, Starwood and Hilton family of brands. The quality of the portfolio has been nationally recognized by the companies they represent, and by the portfolio performance in the markets they cover. For more information on Presidian, visit www.presidian.com

About Aloft Hotels
Created to shake up the staid, traditional select service segment of the hotel industry, the Aloft brand delivers style at a steal with urban-influenced, modern, open and vibrant design - and a social guest experience - at an affordable price point. Aloft hotels are geared toward savvy, design-conscious consumers who grew up with the democratization of design. With 56 hotels open globally, Aloft can be found everywhere from Harlem to Abu Dhabi, Baltimore, Dallas to Beijing and everywhere in between. For more information, please visit www.alofthotels.com.

Guests at Aloft can earn free nights at any Starwood Hotels & Resorts property - the world's most sought-after collection of hotels - through the Starwood Preferred Guest program. To learn more, visit www.spg.com.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1090 properties in 100 countries and territories with 154,000 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 Meridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, 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.