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Opening this summer, the 217-room, 58-floor W New York - Downtown is at the heart of all the action in Lower Manhattan. That means you're perched near Wall Street's financial nerve center at the New York Stock Exchange, world-class shopping, an international menu of eateries, and much more. You're also just minutes away from the heart of Brooklyn and its vibrant eating, nightlife, and parks, or easily accessible to a ferry that will whisk you to the famous Statue of Liberty. Walk or take easy public transportation to nearly any sight you'd want to take in. Whatever/Whenever® makes all big city dreams come true; just dream them up!

Complete with a WIRED® Business Center, WHEELS, the Acura Car Experience and Whatever/Whenever® at your service, your ultimate urban escape begins here - whether you're visiting for work, play or happily blending the two. Other amenities include two cool cocktails (to sip in The Living Room Bar & Terrace), two-way car service to and from JFK/LGA/EWR airports, complimentary late night in-room dining (1am - 5am), breakfast for two at BLT Bar & Grill each day of your stay, suit press and shoe shine, downtown New York walking tour, W "Symmetry" CD, and a room you'll love, with rates from $399.

To find out who puts the W in Wall Street, book your stay at W New York - Downtown today. Reservations are accepted now for stays on or after August 16-October 11, 2010. If you book and stay by September 7th, you will receive Triple Starpoints®! Offer is available for arrivals on all days of the week. There is a minimum two-night stay required. Want to book using your phone? Call us at 1.866.961.2860 and mention promo code WGO.

SPG's Passport to Free Weekends contest is off to a great start, with its second mystery property revealed Thursday, May 13, as the SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills. Two of the 10 winners were friends, Caitlin and Guadalupe, who recorded their adventure together (see video) as they raced through Los Angeles to the hotel. They were two of the first ten to ask for their "Free Weekends Passport Photo" and each won two Free Weekend Night Awards to the destination of their choice.

Located just minutes from the exclusive shops of Rodeo Drive, this Luxury Collection hotel is a destination unto itself, with a rooftop pool, Ciel Spa at SLS, and one of the finest restaurants in LA - which happened to be Passport Clue #3. The Bazaar by José Andrés earned a coveted four-star rating from the LA Times and was a 2009 James Beard Awards finalist for "Best New Restaurant" and "Outstanding Restaurant Design," and if its Philippe Starck-designed interior doesn't wow you, the eclectic cuisine from the show kitchen will. Moss at SLS, a floating emporium, is woven through the space, combining dining, lounging, and shopping into a unique retail experience.

The contest runs through May 25, 2010, so there's plenty of time to win. To play, either "like" Starwood Preferred Guest on Facebook, or follow @spginsider on Twitter to receive a series of clues that point you toward the mystery property of the day. If you're one of the first ten to arrive, you'll get a pair of Free Weekend Night Awards that can be redeemed at more than 920 Starwood hotels and resorts around the world through December 19, 2010. Check Facebook and Twitter for the most recent clues to start playing yourself and with friends!

Follow SPG around the world, as they launch a global quest for Free Weekend Nights! With a little bit of sleuthing, you could find yourself enjoying two Free Weekend Night Awards at your choice of over 920 Starwood hotels and resorts. With the SPG "Passport to Free Weekends" contest, clues will be posted on SPG's Facebook and Twitter pages leading members to one specific hotel every day for 10 business days. The first 10 members to uncover the mystery hotel will win two Free Weekend Nights each. The location will rotate each day, incorporating hotels from each of Starwood's nine brands, including St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Le Méridien, Westin, Sheraton, Aloft, Element and Four Points by Sheraton. Over the course of the contest, SPG will award 200 Free Weekend Nights to 100 winners! The contest runs from May 12 - 25, 2010 so make sure you "like" Starwood Preferred Guest on Facebook and follow @SPGInsider on Twitter to receive the daily clues. Winners will get their "passport" photo taken at the mystery hotels and then will be featured on Twitter, Facebook and right here on theLobby.com throughout the contest. Let the quest for Free Weekends begin! For official rules, visit spg.com/passport.

Plus, if you're not registered for the SPG Free Weekends promotion, be sure to register today by visiting spg.com/freeweekends.

SPG's newly enhanced Facebook page is better than ever! It's a great way to connect with the new SPG Free Weekends program. Explore the SPG page where you can book stays, build weekend wish lists of hotels that interest you, vote on your favorite weekend getaways, and use the SPG Tripshare app to share your favorite Free Weekends photos.

Are you an SPG Insider? Do you follow the @spginsider handle on Twitter.com? If you do, you'll be interested in knowing that SPG will launch a twitter trivia sweepstakes on May 3rd to reward its most knowledgeable members. Each day during the sweepstakes, @spginsider will tweet a trivia question relating to Starwood Hotels and Resorts. The first person to correctly tweet the answer to @spginsider in their message will receive one weekend night at any of the 920 hotels offered as part of SPG Free Weekends. Where will your free weekend take you? If it's Hawaii you dream of, you might want to redeem your free weekend rewards at the Sheraton Waikiki (pictured). This beautiful oceanfront hotel is on the best stretch of Waikiki Beach, just steps from the sand, shops, and sizzling nightlife. Wherever your travel dreams take you, visit SPG on Facebook and register for SPG Free Weekends by June 30, 2010.

One of last year's most exciting offers is back, and not a moment too soon. With SPG Free Weekends 2010, earning free weekend nights couldn't be simpler. Every three stays from May 1st to July 31st, 2010 earns one free weekend night at hundreds of Starwood hotels and resorts around the world and can be used through December 19th, 2010. You can earn and redeem at all Category 1 - 6 properties across all nine brands - over 920 hotels! There's no limit on the number of awards that can be earned, no blackout dates, and awards can be combined into the ultimate vacation in paradise - or just a weekend out of town. All you have to do is register by June 30th, 2010 to start earning free weekend nights at places like the Sheraton Rio Hotel & Resort (pictured) in Brazil, where beachside bliss is in abundance, or the mountainous splendor of the St. Regis Deer Crest Resort in Park City. Register now and make your travel dreams come true in 2010.

Starwood Preferred Guest and American Express have just introduced the brand new SPG American Express credit card for Canada, giving Canadian members a great new way to earn Starpoints toward free nights and other rewards. With this valuable card in your wallet, you'll earn one Starpoint for every Canadian dollar charged to the card, receive 11,000 bonus Starpoints - enough for up to three free nights, earn Gold Preferred Guest status when you reach CDN$30,000 in purchases on the card each year, and receive a free weekend night award when you reach CDN$40,000 in purchases on the card each year. You can redeem your Starpoints for free nights with no blackout dates at more than 940 hotels and resorts in more than 93 countries, and even use Starpoints for airline tickets on more than 350 airlines. Best of all, for a limited time American Express is waiving the annual fee for the first year of membership. It's the ultimate traveler's credit card, so click here for more information or to register to apply. Happy traveling!

Westin has long been committed to promoting wellness on the road with innovative environments and amenities that help travelers feel their best. Now it's easier than ever to take home some of Westin's wellness-focused products with the opening of the Westin Wellness Store on Amazon.com. It's the first hotel-branded storefront on Amazon.com, and it boasts a carefully-curated collection of wellness focused products, including merchandise from like-minded brands such as Gaiam, Kate's Paperie, Tea Forté and Riedel. The digital storefront also has some of Westin's most beloved products, like the iconic Westin Heavenly Bed (pictured), Heavenly Bath collection, and white tea scented candles and diffusers. To celebrate this historic launch, Westin is offering a $100 Amazon gift card to guests who register and stay twice at a Westin hotel in the U.S. or Canada by May 13, 2010. SPG members need simply to register by April 30, 2010, and stay by May 13, 2010, arriving Sunday to Thursday, to qualify for this offer. For more information or to register, visit here and take that unique Westin experience home with you.

The city of Asheville, North Carolina is the perfect mix of urban sophistication and natural beauty, and if you've never had the pleasure of visiting, here's a great opportunity. The Four Points by Sheraton Asheville Downtown is offering great rates and a complimentary rental car for stays this fall. With the Stay and Explore Package, rates start at $136 a night and include a mid-sized rental car pick-up at the hotel, so your only problem will be deciding what to do first. Nestled among the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, this comfortable hotel makes an ideal base for outdoor activities like hiking, rafting, and birdwatching, but it's also just steps from some of the city's best shops, galleries, and restaurants. If cinema is your thing, check out the upcoming Asheville Film Festival (November 12-15, 2009), where cutting-edge features, documentaries, and animations draw visitors to venues throughout the city. Music lovers won't want to miss the 21st Annual Christmas Jam on December 12, 2009, or a host of major events at the Asheville Civic Center like a New Year's Eve performance by the red hot Avett Brothers. The Stay and Explore Package is valid for Sunday through Thursday stays through December 31, 2009, so book your stay today and experience this charming mountain town.

The 2009 summer travel season is in full swing, and if you've put off booking your annual getaway in the hope of getting a great deal, the wait is over. That's because Starwood is having a big summer sale, with summer rates of up to 50% off regular rates at hotels and resorts around the world. Just book by July 20, 2009 and save on stays through October 12, 2009 at hundreds of Starwood properties from Aruba to New Zealand and everywhere in between. The New York offerings are particularly compelling, with bargains on no less than a dozen glamorous hotels. For example, if you're looking for the ultimate New York experience, book a few nights at the W New York - Union Square, which has rates starting at $219. Located just steps from some of the city's best restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, it's the perfect jumping-off point for an evening of downtown delights. Before you check out, be sure to explore the landmark 1911 beaux arts Guardian Life building, which was reinvented by David Rockwell and features Todd English's Olives restaurant and Rande Gerber's sleek UNDERBAR. Wherever you wind up this summer, you'll enjoy it all the more knowing you're getting a great deal on spectacular summer travel. Click here for more information and a list of participating properties.