LOS ANGELES, CA–(Marketwire – September 3, 2010) –  Following great anticipation and national media attention, the 878-room JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE opened in spring 2010. Serving as the cornerstone of L.A. LIVE, the downtown Los Angeles sports, residential and entertainment district, the JW Marriott brought luxury hotel accommodations to downtown Los Angeles and a front row seat to world-class destinations such as STAPLES Center, Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, The GRAMMY Museum® and numerous nearby arts, culture, dining and nightlife destinations.

Within six months of opening, the luxury downtown Los Angeles hotel met several key milestones and celebrated a number of highlights, including exceeding occupancy projections, welcoming its 100,000^th guest, hosting over 500 hotel site inspections and serving more than 125,000 people meals in banquets and the hotel’s restaurants. Over this time period the downtown hotel also welcomed groups such as the Pollstar Live!, NHL Draft, SIGGRAPH, the Association for Computer Machinery and IDEA, the health and fitness conference and enjoyed the fervor surrounding the Lakers winning the NBA Championship at STAPLES Center.

Most recently, the Los Angeles conference center hotel served as the headquarter hotel for the ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition, the annual convention for the American Society of Association Executives and served as co-host for ASAE’s private opening night event at Nokia Plaza L.A. LIVE where guests celebrated their Los Angeles arrival dancing to the tunes of Melissa Etheridge and enjoying signature bites from celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck who catered the outdoor event for 4,500 conference guests and delegates.

“Since opening, our entire staff has been dedicated to creating an optimal experience for all of our guests,” said Javier Cano, JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE General Manager. “Together we epitomize the best of the JW brand and have subsequently become one of the most sought after destinations for groups, business and leisure travelers.”

The opening of the JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE and The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles has also had a serious impact on the revitalization of Downtown Los Angeles. Opening directly across from Los Angeles Convention Center, bookings for the convention center and surrounding hotels have increased and continue to climb. Employment has also been impacted with the downtown LA hotel’s commitment to hire, at minimum, 51% of its workforce from within a 5 mile radius of L.A. LIVE, while L.A. LIVE overall has created more than 25,000 jobs and generated $18 million in new annual tax revenues.

The hotel has become a popular choice for event planners and event planning in downtown Los Angeles. On August 29, 2010 the JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE welcomed the 62nd Primetime Emmy® Awards.

On the horizon, the STAPLES Center hotel will also serve as one of the headquarter hotels for the NBA All-Star Weekend in 2011. The hotel, along with Chef Kerry Simon’s LA Market restaurant, located on the lobby level, will soon be prominently featured throughout Season 8 of “Hell’s Kitchen,” Chef Gordon Ramsay’s popular reality show on FOX television.

About JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE
The JW Marriott Hotel Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE is located in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles and serves as the focal point of the L.A. LIVE sports, residential and entertainment district. With its 878 well-appointed guest rooms, nine treatment room spa, full service fitness center and outdoor pool, the JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE has become a vibrant center of life in the city. The hotel also offers tantalizing dining for anyone looking for a downtown LA restaurant with diverse dining options, including celebrity chef Kerry Simon’s LA Market and professional event planning services with 100,000 square feet of versatile meeting space.

About JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts
JW Marriott is a world-class luxury hotel brand that appeals to the accomplished traveler seeking an environment of casual elegance. As a signature JW, the JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE offers a central location in Los Angeles’ burgeoning downtown district, providing sophisticated travelers a front seat to the world-class entertainment, sports and dining district, along with the approachable luxury for which the brand has long been known.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) is a leading lodging company with more than 3,200 lodging properties in 67 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, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club and Grand Residences by Marriott brands as well as Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers. The company is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and had approximately 146,000 employees at 2008 year-end. It is recognized by BusinessWeek as one of the 100 best global brands, by FORTUNE® as one of the best companies to work for, and by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as Partner of the Year since 2004. In fiscal year 2008, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of nearly $13 billion. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com. For an interactive online version of Marriott’s 2008 Annual Report, which includes a short video message from Chairman and CEO J.W. Marriott, Jr., visit www.marriott.com/investor. For daily news and information on the company, visit www.MarriottNewsCenter.com.

About L.A. LIVE
L.A. LIVE, the downtown Los Angeles sports, residential and entertainment district is the region’s most active live content and event campus. With fifteen world-class restaurants along with venues such as STAPLES Center, Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, the Conga Room, Club Nokia, the GRAMMY Museum, Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge and Regal Cinema L.A. LIVE Stadium 14 theatre, The Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles and JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE.

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