LOS ANGELES, April 3, 2007 - SBE Hotel Group (SBEHG), a division of
SBE Entertainment Group (SBE), today announced plans for the launch of
its new luxury hotel concept, to be called SLS Hotels. The first SLS property
will be operated under a management agreement with Starwood Hotels &
Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT). As part of the agreement, The Le Meridien
at Beverly Hills will undergo a complete transformation and emerge as SLS
Los Angeles, part of The Luxury Collection in early 2008, which will offer
guests exceptional experiences indigenous to Los Angeles. The luxury SLS
group will ultimately include hotels and resorts in the United States,
Mexico and the Caribbean. The announcement was made by SBE CEO Sam Nazarian.
The SLS Los Angeles property joins SBEHG's expanding roster of hotels
which includes Miami's Ritz Plaza which the company is currently redeveloping
along with Makar Properties, for reopening in mid-2008. On March 2, SBE
also reached an agreement to acquire Las Vegas' famed Sahara Hotel &
Casino, with equity partner Stockbridge Real Estate Funds.
"With SLS, we are examining and rethinking every possible aspect of
the luxury hotel experience to create an entirely new paradigm that is
truly in tune with what sophisticated travelers want today," said Nazarian.
"To that end, we've teamed with the best minds and companies in the industry
to help make SLS into one of the premier hospitality forces in the world,
with an unwavering commitment to absolute innovation, the highest quality,
and intuitive guest service."
As for what the SLS name represents, Nazarian added, "SLS is not an
exact acronym for anything in particular. Most importantly, it is a name
that will become synonymous with timeless elegance, intelligence, humanity,
discovery and a completely novel guest experience." SLS properties will
offer the utmost luxury, with lively public spaces, private guest check-in,
highly personalized and attentive service, and a decor which will go beyond
the notion of 'interior design' into a work of art.
Design Exclusive with Philippe Starck
A crucial component of the SLS concept's recipe for success is creative
mastermind Philippe Starck, who is designing the look and feel of all SLS
properties under a 15-year design exclusive with SBE for North America,
the Caribbean and Mexico. The SLS hotel properties will be the first truly
luxury hotels that Starck has designed in North America, having completely
redefined every aspect of the hotel experience in the 1990s and spurred
the 'boutique hotel' movement which has now permeated every corner of the
industry.
This agreement builds upon a six-year design exclusive signed in May
2005 between SBE and Starck, under which Starck is currently designing
several distinct restaurant and lounge concepts. The first of these new
concepts, Katsuya, launched in June 2006 in Los Angeles' tony Brentwood
neighborhood and has quickly become one of the city's hottest restaurants.
Starck's ingenious concepts for SLS promise to surprise, soothe, excite
and enchant, and represent an important evolution for the celebrated designer.
He commented, "The world -- and what I call the 'global tribe' which travels
it -- are very different from when I designed my first hotels. What I am
creating for SLS will be incredibly timeless, chic, bold and ultimately
humane, designed only to bring happiness in an elegant way."
Culinary Wizardry by Chef Jose Andres
SBE also announced today an exclusive collaboration with renowned culinary
innovator Jose Andres to oversee all food and beverage development for
SLS properties. In the gifted hands of chef Andres, SLS guests will enjoy
revolutionary culinary experiences in the hotels' restaurants, lobby and
bars, as well as for in-room dining, banquets and meetings. A particularly
strong signature of SLS will be pioneering, multi-faceted culinary and
lounge concepts for the hotels' lobby spaces.
"Working with the SBE Hotel Group is a very exciting new challenge
for me," said Andres. "Food and beverage is increasingly playing such a
pivotal role within the best luxury hotels around the world and it is a
very fulfilling next step for my company."
Andres, deemed "the boy wonder of culinary Washington" by the New York
Times, was voted "Best Chef of the Mid-Atlantic Region" by the venerable
James Beard Foundation in 2003 and "Chef of the Year" by Bon Appetit in
2004. He is internationally recognized for bringing both tradition and
avant-garde Spanish fare to America, earning him the title of Spain's unofficial
ambassador to the US and influencing the way Americans eat today. To this
end in May 2007, he will be inducted into the Who's Who of Food & Beverage
in America, by the James Beard Foundation joining an elite group of restaurateurs
for this prestigious recognition. Andres and his THINKfoodGROUP team have
created some of the most renowned Washington D.C. restaurants, including
Jaleo, Oyamel, Zaytinya, Cafe Atlantico and his critically-acclaimed minibar
by jose andres.
Management by Starwood
To ensure an unparalleled level of guest service, SBEHG has teamed with
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. which will manage the Los
Angeles property under the umbrella of its world renowned The Luxury Collection(R)
brand, which includes famed hotels such as The Gritti Palace in Venice,
The Phoenician in Phoenix, Arizona, and the recently opened Marques de
Riscal in the Rioja region of Spain.
The Luxury Collection(R) is an elite brand of distinctive properties
ranging from imperial palaces, romantic hideaways and historical landmarks
to tropical resorts, recognized as some of the finest hotels in the world.
There are over 50 The Luxury Collection hotels and resorts in more than
25 countries, each reflecting the true essence of the destination. The
SLS Los Angeles property will also benefit from Starwood's market-leading
Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty program.
SBE Executive Expertise
Collaborating with M. Starck on the design and creation of SLS is SBE
Chief Creative Officer Theresa Fatino, who directs all aspects of SBE's
environmental, interior and graphic design, and orchestrates such vital
brand touchstones as operating supplies, staff attire, ambient music, and
retailing. Before joining SBE, Fatino was a senior executive with W Hotels
where she played a key role in numerous facets of the brand.
A trio of seasoned hospitality executives round out the SBEHG executive
team, contributing their cumulative industry expertise to the creation
and growth of this new hotel brand. These include SBEHG President Arash
Azarbarzin, whose two decades of hotel management experience include involvement
with both the W and St. Regis Hotel brands; SBE VP of Development Joe Faust,
who spent 15 years with the Hyatt Hotels corporation, and SBE VP of Marketing
Michael Doneff, who has worked with high-end lifestyle brands such as One&Only
Resorts, St. Regis, W Hotels, Dom Perignon and the Michelin Guide.
Unprecedented Synergy under SBE Umbrella
SBE's launch of SLS Hotels, combined with its already successful development
and operation of some of the country's hottest restaurants and nightclubs,
represents an incredible synergy that no other hotel group can match. SBE's
Hyde Lounge, Area and Katsuya have all quickly become wildly popular destinations
for Los Angeles' A+ list, and additional U.S. locations for these brands
are already in the works, including outposts at future SLS properties.
SBE's clientele will thus be able to enjoy not only incredible hotels but
also fantastic restaurants and nightclubs, and receive VIP treatment and
preferential access at each establishment. Sophisticated customer tracking
systems will register guest preferences and ensure an incredibly personalized
experience wherever they go.
For more information on SLS Hotels and SBE Hotel Group, visit http://www.sbeent.com.
ABOUT SBE HOTEL GROUP
SBE Hotel Group (SBEHG) continues to develop and expand its diverse
hotel portfolio by creating strategic partnerships with the world's top
design talents and the most reputable and quality-oriented development
and management firms in the United States. In April 2006, SBEHG signed
a 15-year exclusive agreement with renowned designer, Philippe Starck,
for the creation of a new luxury hotel brand, SLS, to debut in early 2008.
The first property in the SLS brand will debut in what is currently Los
Angeles' Le Meridien at Beverly Hills, which SBE acquired in November 2005.
Starck is also masterminding the design for the complete renovation of
SBE's Ritz Plaza hotel in South Beach, which will reopen in mid-2008. In
March 2007, SBE entered into an agreement to acquire Las Vegas' famed Sahara
Hotel & Casino, with partner Stockbridge Real Estate Funds. SBE CEO
Sam Nazarian also has a long-standing relationship with the Kor Group,
and has invested in Kor Hotel Group holdings in Los Angeles, Palm Springs
and the Caribbean.
ABOUT PHILIPPE STARCK
Philippe Starck is widely recognized as the world's leading designer
of luxury restaurant, hotel and real estate properties and has established
a global following of clients and devotees. Born in Paris, M. Starck developed
his eclectic style at a young age and studied his trade at Ecole Nissim
de Camondo. In 1979, he created Starck Products, where he introduced fun
and stylish designs into everyday products. Several of Starck's masterful
creations are exhibited at the most prestigious museums around the world
including Paris, New York, London and Barcelona. Recognized as one of the
world's most powerful style makers, his extensive resume of world-class
hotel destinations includes Felix restaurant at The Peninsula Hotel in
Hong Kong, the Mondrian in Los Angeles, Delano in Miami's South Beach and
the Teatron in Mexico. Starck has received numerous accolades throughout
his career such as Grand Prix for Design, the Oscar of the design world,
the Officier des Arts et Lettres and many more. Additional information
on Philippe Starck can be found at http://www.starck.com.
About Jose Andres
Widely credited with bringing the small plates (Tapas) concept to the
United States, Jose Andres is a native of Spain who descended upon the
Washington, D.C. culinary landscape in 1993 at Jaleo. Andres went on to
neighboring Cafe Atlantico and Zaytinya before launching his namesake six-seat
"restaurant within a restaurant," minibar by jose andres, at Cafe Atlantico
in 2003. Since then, he has opened a third Jaleo and Oyamel, and launched
THINKfoodTANK, an institution devoted to the research and development of
ideas about food. Andres has received numerous accolades for his work,
including Bon Appetit's Chef of the Year award in 2004, Food & Wine's
"35 Under 35" tastemakers list (2004) and Saveur's "2004 Saveur 100 List."
In 2003, Andres won the James Beard Foundation's "Best Chef of the Mid-Atlantic
Region" award and in 2005, released his first cookbook, Tapas: A Taste
of Spain in America, as well as his popular international cooking show
"Vamos a cocinar," on Television Espanola. In 2007 he was inducted into
Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America, by the James Beard Foundation.
ABOUT STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading
hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 850 properties
in more than 95 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed
properties. Starwood(R) Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and
franchisor of hotels and resorts with the following internationally renowned
brands: St. Regis(R), The Luxury Collection(R), Sheraton(R), Westin(R),
Four Points(R) by Sheraton, W(R), Le Meridien(R) and the recently announced
Aloft(SM) and Element(SM) Hotels. 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
http://www.starwoodhotels.com.
The press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning
of federal securities regulations.
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