The opening of the SHERATON PHOENIX DOWNTOWN took place on October 1and the soars 31 stories into the air.  The stunning property is the largest hotel in Arizona and the first new hotel built downtown since 1976. The 1,000-room hotel offers guests an inviting ambience enhanced by warm, welcoming service, upscale amenities and sleek, contemporary decor. The new hotel, along with the expansion of the Phoenix Convention Center, has repositioned Phoenix as a top destination for conventions, corporate meetings and major sporting events like the NBA All Star game, which comes to Phoenix in February 2009. Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel is also opening ahead of schedule and well within the $350 million projected budget.

"The Sheraton Phoenix Downtown is a new flagship hotel for Sheraton and is illustrative of the brand's aggressive growth plan, which includes an investment of $2.3 billion in new hotel openings in North America," said Starwood CEO Frits van Paasschen. "We have a long, successful history in Phoenix with an equally bright future."

"To open a hotel of this magnitude on time and on budget is a testament to the diligence of all those involved in this project," said Leo Percopo, General Manager of the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown. "Perini Construction, the city of Phoenix, Tynan Group and Starwood all had to perform flawlessly to deliver this success."

Located in the heart of the vibrant Copper Square District, Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel has dramatically reshaped the city skyline with its cloud-like white rooftop. The hotel is just one block from the Phoenix Convention Center and five miles from the Sky Harbor International Airport. Nearby attractions include U.S. Airways Arena, Chase Field, Phoenix Art Museum and Arizona Science Center. Guests will also have a choice of entertainment, shopping and dining in and around Copper Square.

The Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel can accommodate more guests for events and meetings than any other hotel in the downtown area in its more than 80,000 square feet of flexible, state-of-the-art meeting space.

The hotel's comfortable and stylish guestrooms feature the signature Sheraton Sweet SleeperSM Bed, a nine-layer custom-designed ensemble boasting an exquisitely comfortable, plush mattress, fluffy down hypoallergenic pillows, crisp cotton sheets, cozy blanket and signature blanket and duvet. Sheraton also gives its guests front-row seats to high-quality, in-room programming through its Scene@Sheraton entertainment, which includes sneak previews and premier sports programming viewed on wall-mounted flat screen HDTVs. Sheraton Club guests will enjoy upgraded bath amenities, special access to the Club Lounge, continental breakfast served daily, afternoon hors d'oeuvres and beverages, and workstations with copier, fax and printer capabilities.

Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel also offers a new, state-of-the-art fitness center developed in partnership with Core Performance, an organization that trains elite athletes and Olympians and is dedicated to providing breakthrough solutions to help individuals achieve their maximum performance. Additional amenities include a 4,500 square-foot outdoor pool and sundeck, lobby bar, and a restaurant and lounge with outdoor seating.