23 February, 2016: Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour today celebrates an exciting new milestone in its AUD$200 million redevelopment timeline, announcing 100 days until the debut and opening of its new convention centre – home to 3,700 square metres of unique, waterside meeting and event space.

From 1 June, the iconic Sydney hotel is poised to become Australia's leading convention address, offering 3,700 square metres of meeting space combined with the largest guest room inventory in the city. This room number will increase further on 1 August with the launch of a third hotel tower, adding an additional 222 stylish guest rooms and taking the total room count up to 892.

Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour together with owners, M&L Hospitality, embarked on the ambitious Darling Harbour development in 2014 following two years of thoughtful design and planning. The vision was to introduce a new, distinctive and flexible meeting venue to spearhead the revitalisation of the popular city centre precinct, and to cater to the evolving and sophisticated needs of the industry.

Four Points by Sheraton Sydney's General Manager David Fraser is excited to launch Sydney's largest redeveloped hotel, and to play such as important role in the evolution and ongoing success of Sydney's business and events landscape. 

“Four Points by Sheraton Sydney's new convention centre is going to raise Sydney's business offerings to new heights. The design, architecture and features of this development are second to none, incorporating spectacular water views, an abundance of natural light and space, new efficiencies and advanced technologies, which will significantly enhance our clients' business events and meetings.

“We have extensively advanced our offering, catering to the needs of the modern-day event planner, and filling a gap that has long existed in the Sydney market. This development will bring Darling Harbour back into the limelight and help to raise Sydney's reputation once again as a leading business events destination in Asia Pacific,” said Mr. Fraser.

With the opening date now in sight and client events booked from the moment the convention centre opens its doors, a strong sales and operations team has been appointed and a series of test events are in place to ensure that world class service and exceptional experiences are delivered from day one.

Offering two, vast ballrooms and 20 flexible meeting rooms, the true highlight of the new convention centre will be the two, elegantly designed, pillarless ballrooms, together offering a combined capacity for 2,100 people theatre style, as well as natural light and sweeping, uninterrupted water views of Sydney's Darling Harbour. The meeting space will also include spacious breakout areas, meeting rooms and dedicated pre-function space.

Furthermore, the grand unveiling on 1 June will include the opening of the hotel's new, stylish restaurant and bar; a striking Porte Cochere and dedicated coach bay; a spectacular hotel lobby; as well as an indoor thoroughfare providing easy, direct access to Darling Harbour and its many attractions.

The redevelopment of Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour will later see the launch of 222 new guest rooms in August 2016. Housed in the third tower development, the additional guest rooms will take the hotel's inventory up to 892, offering a comprehensive venue for meeting planners looking for an option with accommodation on site. 

The new rooms will help to address the shortage of accommodation in Sydney, a necessity as the city moves into a new era as a leading business events destination.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events, Stuart Ayres has welcomed the investment as a strong indicator of the growth expected in tourism in NSW.

"Sydney is the nation's gateway and the redevelopment of Four Points by Sheraton, Sydney helps ensure visitors have a world class experience in our global city,” said Mr. Ayres.

“Investment in our hotel infrastructure plays a key role in making sure we stay ahead of the pack and continue to provide a unique product in the region. In the year ending September 2015, international and domestic visitors to NSW stayed a total of 172.6 million nights, up six per cent and spent a record $24.0 billion, up 7.8 per cent.”

A new phase of the development was recently announced with Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour together with owners M&L Hospitality, confirming plans to develop a new rooftop bar and executive lounge offering panoramic views of Darling Harbour. Located atop the northern tower, the AUD$12 million venue will feature a contemporary floor to ceiling glass design and is slated to open in the fourth quarter of 2016. Extending across two levels, the lower level executive lounge will offer exclusive facilities to premium in-house guests only, and the rooftop bar will offer a new city-centre lifestyle venue open to all. 

Those who book events at Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour are eligible to earn Starwood SPG Pro points, gain SPG elite status and upgrades to be used at any of Starwood Hotels & Resorts' nearly 1,200 properties world-wide, for either business or pleasure. www.spg.com/pro

For more information visit: www.fourpointssydney.com or www.facebook.com/fourpointssydney.

To take a virtual tour visit: www.fourpointssydney.com/video. 

About Four Points by Sheraton

Experience smart travel. With nearly 200 Four Points hotels in more than 30 countries, travellers can find the timeless style and comfort they're looking for with genuine service and everything that matters most, all around the world. From Santiago to Shanghai and Milan to Milwaukee, Four Points hotels can be found in big urban centres, by the airport, near the beach, and in the suburbs. A recent $1 billion invested in renovations, conversions, and new-build hotels has made the brand stronger than ever. Four Points by Sheraton, like all brands within Starwood's portfolio, is proud to offer the Starwood Preferred Guest® program, the industry's richest loyalty program. To learn more, visit www.spg.com. Stay connected to Four Points on facebook.com/fourpoints. 

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 1,200 properties in 100 countries, and more than 180,000 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®. 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.starwoodhotels.com.

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