Westin Hotels Offers Guests a New Outdoor Workout Experience with ElliptiGO®, the World’s First Elliptical Cycle

Today, Westin Hotels & Resorts announced a partnership with ElliptiGO, creator of the world’s first outdoor elliptical cycle, that will offer guests a new, innovative device to help them stay healthy and fit when away from home. Just in time for summer, guests at participating properties can rent the $2,500 ElliptiGO 8C as part of their daily workout routine and take in the local sights for an average rental fee of $10. Properties participating in the pilot program that will run throughout the summer include The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa, The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa, The Westin Georgetown, Washington D.C., and The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa.

Westin Hotels & Resorts is offering rentals of the ElliptiGo machine, part bike, part elliptical machine and select hotels and resort. (Photo: Business Wire)

Take your summer workout outdoors with Westin

The ElliptioGO combines the best of running, cycling and the elliptical trainer to deliver a fun, low-impact, high-performance outdoor workout. Based on popularity of elliptical machines as seen in the brand’s signature WestinWORKOUT® fitness studios and the prevalence of bike lending programs at hotels nationwide, partnering with ElliptiGO to offer this innovative fitness device was a natural fit for the Westin brand.

"Our pilot program with ElliptiGO reinforces the brand’s commitment to promoting an active lifestyle and making exercise convenient for our guests in innovative and exciting ways,” said Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader, Westin Hotels & Resorts.

"We are very excited to partner with Westin to offer the ElliptiGO to their guests," remarked Bryce Whiting, Vice President of Sales for ElliptiGO. "We’ve had a great deal of positive feedback from the first properties that received ElliptiGOs and feel Westin Hotels is the perfect fit given their commitment to their guests well-being.”

Westin Continues to Innovate

The ElliptiGO offering joins a host of initiatives recently introduced by Westin Hotels & Resorts that have been designed with the guests’ well-being in mind. Most recently, Westin announced a brand-wide gear lending program in collaboration with New Balance. This program helps guests overcome the hurdles of exercising on the road with access to New Balance footwear, apparel and fitness program content through this innovative product loan program. Earlier this year, Westin announced a complete refresh of the WestinWORKOUT^® program to match the evolving fitness trends among guests and further enhance the brand’s goal of promoting well-being in travel. In September 2011, Westin launched a brand-wide Associate Enrichment program, introducing the brand’s "Elements of Well Being Platform” to more than 25,000 associates around the world through key touch points. Westin also unveiled its groundbreaking "For a Better You” ad campaign in May 2011 that uses artistic imagery to depict the "Elements of Well Being” that help guests leave feeling better than when they arrived. In late 2009, the brand launched a sleep study and sleep hotline with National Sleep Foundation aimed at helping travelers troubleshoot common sleep problems. Westin also partnered with SuperFoods Partners LLC in the fall of 2007 to become the first hotel brand to create a SuperFoods-focused menu. In 2006, the brand introduced Breathe Westin and became the first in the industry to go smoke-free and offer guests a healthy, 100% smoke-free hotel experience.

For more information on Westin Hotels & Resorts, please visit www.westin.com, Facebook or follow Westin on Twitter.

About Westin Hotels & Resorts

Westin Hotels & Resorts offers innovative programs that transform every aspect of a stay into a revitalizing experience. All Westin signature services – like the Heavenly Bed, delicious SuperFoods and WestinWorkout studio – have been designed with the guests’ well-being in mind. Westin hotels, with more than 186 hotels and resorts in nearly 40 countries and territories, is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT). Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,103 properties in nearly 100 countries and 154,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis^®, The Luxury Collection^®, W^®, Westin^®, Le Méridien^®, Sheraton^®, Four Points^® by Sheraton, Aloft^®, and Element^SM. The Company boasts one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands. For more information, please visit www.westin.com

About ElliptiGO

ElliptiGO, Inc. is a San Diego-based company that created the world’s first outdoor elliptical running device. Combining the best of running, cycling and the elliptical trainer, the ElliptiGO® delivers a high-performance workout experience that closely mimics running outdoors while eliminating the impact. Elliptical running is an effective way to build cardiovascular fitness without aggravating injuries, and a great alternative for people who can no longer run because of degenerative conditions. For everyone from the weekend warrior to the elite athlete, the ElliptiGO provides the most comfortable, fun and efficient way to get outside and be active. The full line of ElliptiGOs is available for purchase at select retailers nationwide and through the company’s website: www.elliptigo.com.

(Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and involve risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made. These risks and uncertainties are presented in detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained or that results and events will not materially differ. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.)

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50352159&lang=en