Meetings & Events LA Live Meetings & Events

JW Marriott

JW MARRIOTT HOTEL LOS ANGELES AT L.A. LIVE
TO OPEN IN SPRING 2010

Ten Floors Already Completed in New Convention Center Hotel

LOS ANGELES, May 1, 2008 -- Averaging the construction of a floor of steel per week, the JW Marriott Hotel Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE has reached another milestone with the completion of ten floors and is already changing the shape of the skyline. The hotel, which will be a key component of the Downtown Los Angeles revitalization project known as L.A. LIVE, will provide much-needed capacity for meeting groups looking to stay in the city's Downtown area and provide direct access to the Los Angeles Convention Center.

"For many years, some meeting planners have avoided Downtown Los Angeles because there was simply not enough capacity for certain programs and not enough offerings in the immediate surrounding area," said Karen Englund, director of sales and marketing for the property. "The development of the L.A. LIVE project, and more importantly, the opening of the JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE, truly marks the return of Downtown Los Angeles as a viable meeting destination for large groups and annual meetings."

Featuring 879 guest rooms, including 35 well-appointed suites, the JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE will offer the most efficient meeting space in Downtown Los Angeles with more than 77,000 sq. ft. of indoor meeting space. As a focal point of L.A. LIVE, the one-of-a-kind entertainment campus that will span roughly six city blocks, the property will offer its guests unparalleled access to world-class entertainment, dining, sports, theater and music experiences.

"The impact of the L.A. LIVE project on the Los Angeles economy will be huge," said Jack Kyser, vice president and senior economist for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. "And the JW Marriott hotel at L.A. LIVE will put Los Angeles solidly back in the game of attracting major business shows to the area. I've been waiting at least 20 years for this."

With its central location in Los Angeles' burgeoning downtown district, the hotel will provide a deluxe level of comfort and personal service within a unique environment designed to reflect its location. When the hotel opens in March 2010, a majority of the L.A. LIVE project will be completed, which will give guests direct access to:

STAPLES Center - The world's most successful arena, STAPLES Center is home to five professional sports teams in addition to serving as the premier venue for musical performances, family entertainment and televised award shows, including the GRAMMY® awards.
NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE - A state-of-the-art 7,100-seat venue for live performances and events, NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE is the new home to two of the most highly coveted awards shows, the ESPY Awards and Emmy® Awards, not to mention the upcoming American Idol finale shows.
Club NOKIA - Expected to host 150 events a year, the 2,200-capacity Club NOKIA will be the perfect venue for emerging acts and cultural shows, while providing excellent space for corporate events and private parties.
ESPN Broadcast Studios and ESPN Zone - The broadcast studios will be home to a number of live shows and original programming, and the ESPN Zone is the nation's most popular sports-themed restaurant and bar.
The GRAMMY® Museum - Developed by The Recording Academy (NARAS) and AEG, the museum will offer visitors a one-of-a-kind museum experience paying tribute to music's heritage and rich cultural history.
Conga Room - The legendary venue will relocate from its mid-Wilshire location to open at L.A. LIVE. The intimate performance venue is owned by a group of high-profile celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez and Jimmy Smits.
Lucy Strike Bowling Center - In addition to 18 bowling lanes, the popular Lucky Strike will feature a café, bar, billiard tables, darts and private function rooms.

In addition, L.A. LIVE has drawn on the industry's hottest culinary talents to offer specialty restaurants, including:

Katsuya - The sushi and robata bar concept created by nightlife guru, Sam Nazarian.
Wolfgang Puck - A California cuisine concept brought to life by the culinary icon himself.
Rosa Mexicano - A fine dining concept of traditional and nouvelle Mexican food in a contemporary David Rockwell designed space.
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar - Located on the bustling corner of Olympic Blvd. and Figueroa St., the well-known steakhouse will occupy approximately 7,250 sq. ft.
The Farm of Beverly Hills - An American restaurant from one of Beverly Hills' most popular operators that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Starbucks - Brining its popular coffee house concept to an approximately 1,800 square foot space plus outdoor patio seating.

The property will share space with The Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles and The Ritz Residences at L.A. LIVE in a unique 54-story tower, designed by Gensler, which will be one of the tallest mix-use buildings in Downtown Los Angeles.

About JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts
JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts is Marriott's global luxury brand featuring a collection of distinctive, award-winning properties. The JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts offer a unique combination of relaxed elegance, authenticity and luxurious environments, while affording guests the luxury of being themselves through gracious, warm, approachable and personalized service.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. (NYSE: MAR) is a leading lodging company with more than 2,800 lodging properties in the United States and 67 other countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Bulgari brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club, Horizons by Marriott Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton Club and Grand Residences by Marriott brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers. The company is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and had approximately 151,000 employees at 2006 year-end. It is ranked as the lodging industry's most admired company and one of the best places to work for by FORTUNE®. The company is also a 2006 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR® Partner. In fiscal year 2006, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of $12.2 billion. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com.