New Vice President, Regional Director for Starwood Hotels and Resorts arrives in the Middle East

In his new position, De Wilde will oversee Starwood's Middle East operations, which include 48 hotels in 11 countries. De Wilde's leadership will grow Starwood's premium brands throughout the region.

"Our company is known for its innovation and its willingness to embrace change which goes hand in hand with the region's dynamic growth and vast potential," De Wilde said.

The World Tourism Organization reported that the Middle East was the world's most visited region in 2005, with room revenue up nearly 25% compared to the previous year. Starwood Hotels and Resorts experienced tremendous growth during this period, adding 23 new hotels to the company's Middle East portfolio, under Le Meridien brand in 2005 alone.

De Wilde brings 23 years of experience in the hotel industry to the position, including his most recent four years as the Area Manager for Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Portugal and General Manager of the Sheraton Algarve Hotel, Pine Cliffs Resort. He also held management positions in Bahrain, Morocco, Germany and Belgium.

"De Wilde's worldliness and astute management skills will serve him and Starwood well in the Middle East region," said Starwood's President for Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Roeland Vos. "We are proud to have him in this position."

A native of Zele, Belgium, De Wilde studied Germanic philology and Scandinavian languages at the University of Ghent before taking a degree in Marketing from the Institute for Social Sciences at The Hague. He started his hotelier career working for Sheraton Reservations Corporation and worked in Bahrain between 1984 and 1988 leading Sheraton's Worldwide Reservations' Operations for the Middle East.

"Starwood's reputation for hospitality and service is unsurpassed," De Wilde explained. "I am committed to preserving and improving upon our hotels' excellence and growing our partnership with our hotels' owners and investors in the Middle East in the years to come."