Contact:
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Melissa Pogue
(914) 640-8408
melissa.pogue@starwoodhotels.com
STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS ANNOUNCES
“BOOK AND WIN BIG” WINNER
California-based Travel Professional Wins One Million Starpoints®
Starwood Now Accepting Entries for 2011 Promotion
WHITE PLAINS, NY – February 7, 2011 – Yesterday, one million SPG Starpoints® were deposited in the account of travel professional Roxana Lewis of ProTravel International. Today, she can start planning her great adventure as the official 2010 winner of Starwood Hotels & Resorts “Book and Win BIG” One Million Points Sweepstakes!
A 40-year veteran of the travel industry, Lewis is an adventure travel specialist with Virtuoso’s ProTravel in Beverly Hills, CA. She is a noted authority on the back roads of Italy, a restaurant expert and she speaks three languages. Asked what she thought she might do with this new found fortune, Lewis said, “I have always wanted to do a solo backpack around-the-world. I think the gods of good fortune are telling me to ditch the backpack and Starwood-it instead."
The “Book and Win BIG” promotion recorded more than 90,000 booking entries and registered nearly 12,000 travel professionals last year. There were 12 monthly winners of 50,000 Starpoints, three monthly prize winners of resort stays, and one incredibly lucky winner of the Million Points prize. The complete winner’s list is attached.
Travel professionals can once again register their bookings as entries in the monthly 50,000 Starpoints drawings or resort prizes and qualify for a chance at the year-end one million Starpoints prize. January winners will be posted shortly.
“We know travel professionals have plenty of choices for their customers’ hotel and resort stays and we certainly recognize and appreciate a professional’s decision to choose us,” said Chris Austin, Vice President, Global Retail Leisure & Luxury Sales. “We have more than 16,000 travel professionals who have committed to our ProLearning curriculum and are officially StarwoodPros. Roxana is one of our “pros” and we are so thrilled that she was our big winner this year. We believe it is important for those who sell travel to also truly experience it and enjoy it. And personally, I love the fact that Roxana has made ‘Starwood’ a verb and plans to ‘Starwood-it’ around the globe!”
Every time a reservation is confirmed, via the GDS, web, Starwood call center or tour operator at any Starwood hotel or resort property, a travel professional is eligible to submit an entry into the StarwoodPro “Book and Win BIG” one million Starpoints® sweepstakes. Each booking is a chance for a travel professional to earn the ultimate reward they deserve.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Starwood Preferred Guest® is unique in its free night awards with no blackout dates or availability restrictions. Very simply, if there's a standard room available on the chosen night, it can be booked with Starpoints. Free Night Awards can be redeemed for as few as 2,000 Starpoints® in popular cities or be used at rates of up to 35,000 points a night for stays at magnificent resorts in the world's most sought-after places, or upgrade to a Specialty Room or Suite at participating hotels starting at just 1,000 Starpoints®.
Book & Win BIG prizes include:
• Grand Prize – One Million Starpoints® to redeem in any way you wish*
• Plus, twelve monthly prizes of 50,000 Starpoints®.
•Five monthly land based vacations of three nights making a total of 60 land based vacations at Starwood Resorts in North America to be won.
*Starpoints® will be awarded as part of the Starwood Preferred Guest® hotel loyalty program. See www.SPG.com for full program details.
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 900 properties in more than 100 countries and 155,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, Sheraton®, Westin®, Four Points® by Sheraton, W®, Le Méridien® and the recently announced AloftSM and ElementSM 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 www.starwoodhotels.com/pressclub
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Official 2010 Starwood Book and Win BIG Travel Professional Winners
January
50,000 Starpoints: Florigna Bello, Casto Travel Inc - San Francisco, CA
3 Nights Stay at the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa:
Michelle Johnson, Adelman Travel - Irvine, CA
3 Nights at the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino:
Rebecca Truwe, Sato Travel - Ely, MN
3 Nights at the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa:
Tracy Hardy, AAA Miami Valley - Greenville, OH
3 Nights at The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa:
Nancy Willson, Shorts Travel Management - Kansas City, MO
3 Nights at The Phoenician:
Anthony Perrotta, Tzell Travel Group - New York, NY
February
50,000 Starpoints: Janice McCarthy, Ships and Trips Travel - Sacramento, CA
The Westin La Cantera Resort, San Antonio:
Michael Zamaria, BCD Travel - Dallas, TX
Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa:
Vanessa Woods, Guardian Travel - Kansas City, MO
The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa:
Peggy Pezdir, Gray's Travel - Northbrook, IL
The Westin Key West Resort & Marina:
Judy Oshansky, Travel Collaborative - Somerville, MA
Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel:
Diane Habrock, AAA Nebraska - Omaha, NE
March
Winner 50,000 Star Points: Barbara Panzer, Tramex Travel - Austin, TX
Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort:
Linda Bullard, Regal Travel Services - Altamonte Springs, Fla
The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, Hollywood, FL:
Brian Moore, Macys Travel Services - Cincinnati, OH
W Retreat & Spa, Vieques Island:
Michelle Lachajewski, Royal International Travel - Beverly Hills, MI
The Westin Resort & Spa, Los Cabos:
Catherine Clark, Carlson Wagonlit Travel - Emeryville, CA
The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka'anapali:
Gerald Kuntz, Nissin Travel Service - Raymond, OH
April
Winner 50,000 Star Points:Joyce Striar, Protravel International - Harrison, NY
Walt Disney World Swan:
Tina Carlson, American Express Platinum Travel - Phoenix, AZ
W Fort Lauderdale:
Lisa Lavallee, Travizon - Danvers, MA
The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort:
Nicole Vigil, Polk Majestic Travel Group - Denver, CO
Le Meridien Cancun:
Leslie Garner, Adtrav Travel Management - Huntsville, AL
Sunset Key Guest Cottages, A Westin Resort:
Joe Crews, Regency Travel - Memphis, TN
May
Winner 50,000 Star Points: Cate Danforth, American Express - Phoenix, AZ
The St. Regis Deer Crest Resort, Deer Valley:
Jill Petersen, Travel Leaders - Boise, ID
Walt Disney World Dolphin, Orlando:
Sabrina Eichhorst, Vision 2000 - Calgary, AB
Sheraton Safari Hotel & Suites Lake Buena Vista, Orlando:
Carol Hendry, Cain Travel - Boulder, CO
The Westin St. John Resort & Villas:
Malinda Kyrkos, Tzell Travel - New York, NY
The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver:
Amy Boche, Blue Ribbon Vacations and Cruises - Edina, MN
June
Winner 50,000 Star Points: Linda De Sosa, Woodlake Travel - Houston, TX
Sheraton Steamboat Resort:
Scott McCubbins, All About Travel - Kansas City, MO
The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa, Avon:
Mireya Velasco, Teng and Associates,Inc. - Chicago, IL
The Westin Bear Mountain:
Gina Harless, Executive Travel Assoc. - Washington, DC
Sheraton Hacienda Del Mar Golf & Spa Resort, Los Cabos:
Stacey Kittle-Lubliner, Worldview Travel - Solana Beach, CA
Sheraton Sand Key Resort:
Elizabeth Marrone, American Express Travel - Hartford, CT
July
Winner 50,000 Star Points: Linda Kirn, Singer Travel - Wyomissing, PA
The Westin Beach Resort, Fort Lauderdale:
Robin Holian, Superior Travel - Baldwin, NY
The Westin Trillium House, Blue Mountain:
Beth Bowman, Executive Travel Associates - Washington DC
The Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa, St. Maarten:
Marguency David, American Express Travel - Miami Lakes, FL
The Westin Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa:
Carrie Wieda, Classic Travel And Tours - Richmond, VA
Sheraton Kauai Resort:
Krsi Vandover, Carlson Wagonlit Travel - Saint Louis, MO
August
Winner 50,000 Star Points: Claudia Rabin-Manning, Trump Travel - Baldwin, NY
The Westin Resort, Aruba:
Wanda Schmitz, Aaa Nebraska - Omaha, NE
Sheraton Waikiki, Hawaii:
Michael Schrobat, Cetc Travel Services - Seattle, WA
The St. Regis Monarch Beach, California:
Bo Rietz, Montrose Travel - San Francisco, CA
Le Westin Resort & Spa Tremblant, Quebec:
Nicola Davis, Hmhf Travel - Southfield, MI
Sheraton Vistana Villages, Orlando:
Carrie Baierl, Carlson Wagonlit Travel - St. Paul, MN
September
Winner 50,000 Star Points: Sujata Celina Fernandes, A.Nash Travel - Mississauga, ON Canada
Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach:
Jeannine Gibbs, Travel Leaders - Norcross, GA
The Ballantyne, Charlotte:
Rebecca Ivy, Aaa Auto Club South - Naples, FL
The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico:
Connie Freeman, Plaza Travel Inc - Dallas, TX
Sheraton Vistana Resort, Orlando:
Karen (Jackie) Weisenmiller, Travel Destinations Mgmt Group - Owings Mills, MD
The Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki:
Sarah Maxwell, Canyon Creek Travel - Richardson, TX
October
Winner 50,000 Star Points: Deborah Grogins Metviner, Valerie Wilson Travel Inc. - New Canaan, CT
Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, Waikiki
Lisa Cairo, Garber Travel - Johnston, RI
The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort:
Geeta Roller, Ovation Travel - New York, NY
Four Points by Sheraton Caguas Real Golf, Hotel & Casino, Puerto Rico:
Lee Black, American Express - Oaks, PA
Four Points by Sheraton Hotel & Casino at Palmas del Mar, Puerto Rico:
Kristen Getsie, World Travel Inc - Douglassville, PA
Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa, Hawaii:
Marie Salscheider, Travel and Transport - Omaha, NE
November
Winner 50K SPG Points: Dawn Holloway, Moraga Travel - Moraga, CA
The St. Regis Aspen Resort:
Elizabeth Muniz, Tzell Travel - New York, NY
Sheraton Suites Key West:
Jennifer Rose Arnold, Aaa Southern Pennsylvania - York, PA
The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa:
Bernadette Uniacke, American Express - San Francisco, CA
Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa:
Christine Hahn, Adelman Travel - Milwaukee, WI
The Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa, Grand Cayman:
Barb Beiser, Fox World Travel - Oshkosh, WI
December
Winner 50K SPG Points: Doreen Talaskavich, Vision2000 Travel Group - St. Catharines, ON
The Westin Resort & Spa, Cancun:
Theresa Fondoules, Carlsonwagonlit Travel - Princeton, NJ
The Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort, Cancun, Mexico:
Gina Mortali, American Express - New York, NY
The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas:
Celeste Houle Oliver, Travel Odyssey - Lincoln, RI
The St. Regis Princeville Resort:
Athniel Payne, Hrg North America - New York ,NY
W South Beach:
Jean Kavanaugh, Admiral Travel Bureau Inc. - Amityville, NY
2010 Grand Prize Winner
One Million Starpoints
Roxana Lewis, ProTravel International - Beverly Hills, CA
