Beer Officer:Four Points' Newest Executive to Help Cultivate, Curate and Promote New Best Brews(SM) Program

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 15, 2006--Who says drinking beer won't get you anywhere? For those passionate for pilsners or crazy for crafts, your favorite pastime could earn you a fancy new title and a seat at the Board Room Table. In celebration of the simple pleasure of a perfectly poured glass of beer and the launch of its Best Brews program, Four Points by Sheraton hotels today officially kicked-off its Chief Beer Officer (CBO) executive search and began making room in the executive suite for its newest chief.
Candidates should possess a bubbly personality, brew eloquence, and a rich knowledge of beer. The world's first ever CBO will be responsible to share his or her in-depth knowledge of the wide world of beer and help cultivate, curate and promote its new Best Brews offerings at brewery tours, beer festivals, and on bar stools across the country. Four Points hotels encourages all who fulfill the above requirements to apply online and see if their favorite pastime earns them a seat at the Board Room table. To be eligible, all one needs is a love for beer, a thirst-hand knowledge of this glorious libation, an interest in perks that are as tasty as beer itself and be 21 years of age or older. No Lager Louts need apply. Applications are available at www.fourpoints.com/cbo.

Once chosen, the CBO will assume the post in mid-January and begin acting as an independent, part-time consultant for Four Point's newly-launched Best Brews program. As part of the executive search, ads have been taken out in the Wall Street Journal, HotJobs and Monster.com.

"We're committed to finding a CBO to help grow and promote our Best Brews program," said Four Points Senior Vice President Hoyt "Hops" Harper. "Just as wine has its devotees, so too does beer - people who are passionate about its nuances, its history and the fact that it's just plain fun to drink. We knew we had to develop a position worthy of our vast offering of this divine beverage, and we are eager to have our new CBO on board."

One of the primary duties of the CBO will be to document all official activities and beer learnings on a Four Points beer blog. This includes discovering new brews to feature in the program and sharing their thoughts about each beer they sample in the portfolio, as the CBO will have a sampling of the collection delivered to their door each quarter.

Introducing Best Brews(SM)

Four Points by Sheraton hotels is pleased to offer a wide selection of brews featuring imports and North American craft beers, each chosen for their unique flavors, popularity and quality ingredients. The Brewers Association helped develop the overall program and Four Points by Sheraton has been designated the Association's preferred hotel provider.

Through Best Brews, Four Points hotels around the world will provide a selection of local, regional and imported craft beers from the extensive list of almost 300 available brews in bottles, and on tap. Participating properties will offer a minimum of four draught beers and a selection of up to 20 bottled beers, including imports representing Belgium, Germany, England and the Czech Republic, as well as regional craft beers.

True to its dedication to uncomplicated comfort, Four Points makes choosing the perfect brew as easy as pie. All hotel beer selections are broken down by style, character and body, so guests can easily identify the perfect brew for their taste. Guests can choose a crisp refreshing lager perfect for lighter palates, a smooth thirst quenching Pale Ale or a robust, hearty stout that carries serious flavor. Can't decide? Beer sampler "flights" with four 4oz pours of draught beer with story cards make it easy to sample the brews on tap while learning about the art of the pour.

As part of the program, all Four Points lounge and restaurant staff must complete the Best Brews online training program and master all aspects of the curriculum, such as the brewing process and how to properly present and pour beer. Each hotel will also have a beer champion who will serve as the pilsner prophet and ale aficionado for the property, helping guests discover new tastes and brands, as well as educating them about the differences between each beer. This staff member will also assist in staff training and developing the beer list.

"Four Points has a passion for beer and we are impressed with their drive to offer guests local and regional craft beers" said Charlie Papazian, President of the Brewers Association. "We're happy to say that the Brewers Association helps Four Points bring better beer to you."

For additional information on Best Brews and Four Points by Sheraton, including room rates and availability, please visit their website at www.fourpoints.com. For information about the Brewers Association and their work to promote and protect American craft brewers and their beers, please visit www.beertown.org.

For more information about the Four Points hotels' Best Brews initiative, including beer myths, food pairings and more, visit www.fourpoints.com/beer.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 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 www.starwoodhotels.com.