LAS VEGAS, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, opening December 15, 2010, announced today that they have entered into a distribution agreement with the Autograph Collection, Marriott International, Inc.'s (NYSE: MAR) portfolio of upper-upscale and luxury independent hotels and resorts. The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, a design-focused independent luxury brand, will be the Autograph Collection's first member resort in Las Vegas. The partnership will provide The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas access to one of the largest databases in the hospitality industry, while offering strong and established relationships in the group and convention markets.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100825/NY55120-a)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100825/NY55120-a)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100825/NY55120-b)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100825/NY55120-b)

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100630/NY29083LOGO-c)

(Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100630/NY29083LOGO-c)

"This opportunity creates a powerful partnership for The Cosmopolitan and the Autograph Collection by aligning interests, broadening market share and driving growth. This platform enables us to build an iconic luxury brand at the heart of the Las Vegas Strip while simultaneously leveraging the 7th largest retail website in the world. The partnership also provides the Autograph Collection entry into the Las Vegas market," commented John Unwin, Chief Executive Officer, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will introduce a new category in the Autograph Collection and will be the brand's largest property as well as the first casino resort. With an innovative perspective on luxury in the Las Vegas market, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will be in good company with other Marriott brands including Ritz-Carlton, known for service and luxury, as well as EDITION, Marriott's new lifestyle brand developed with Ian Schrager.

Through this partnership, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will benefit from full participation in the award-winning Marriott Rewards® guest loyalty program, which drives customers in the leisure, corporate and group markets. In addition, as part of the Marriott family of brands, The Cosmopolitan will also be featured as a partner hotel on The Ritz-Carlton website.

"Marriott has been looking for some time for an iconic property in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip and The Cosmopolitan exceeds our expectations for inspiring design, luxurious rooms and meeting space that will draw the world's top customers year-round," said J.W. Marriott, Jr., Chairman and CEO, Marriott International. "We're very excited to be working with The Cosmopolitan's ownership group and seasoned management team to raise the bar on the Las Vegas experience.  Our new Autograph Collection delivers the power of our world-class sales engines while promoting the independence of The Cosmopolitan brand."

Situated at the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is located at 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. South directly between CityCenter and Bellagio. The resort's uniquely vertical multi-tower design offers spectacular views of the vibrant city. The new 2,995-room resort features oversized residential-style living spaces with expansive, one-of-a-kind private terraces. The Cosmopolitan's luxurious resort amenities include a 100,000 square foot casino; unique and eclectic boutiques; Sahra Spa & Hammam; three unique pool experiences; multi-level integrated nightclubs and 150,000 square feet of state-of-the-art convention and meeting space. Signature restaurants include: Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill by restaurateurs Bruce and Eric Bromberg; Comme Ca by Los Angeles Chef David Myers; Estiatorio Milos, by international restaurateur Costas Spiliadis; Holstein's from Block 16 Hospitality; Jaleo and China Poblano restaurants by acclaimed Chef Jose Andres; Scarpetta and D.O.C.G. by award-winning Chef Scott Conant; and popular steakhouse STK from The One Group and Chef Todd Miller.  For more information visit: www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cosmopolitan_lv or find us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/thecosmopolitan.

The Autograph Collection is an ensemble of high-personality and boldly independent hotels, each carefully selected for its distinctiveness and style.  Together, the entire Autograph Collection takes the guesswork out of finding exceptional, unique non-chain hotels that are as original as the guest, and provides all of the benefits of the Marriott Rewards world-class loyalty program.  For more details, visit www.AutographCollectionHotels.com

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. (NYSE: MAR) is a leading lodging company with more than 3,400 lodging properties in 70 countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Bulgari, the Autograph Collection, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, and SpringHill Suites brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, and Grand Residences by Marriott brands; licenses and manages whole-ownership residential brands, including The Ritz-Carlton Residences, JW Marriott Residences and Marriott Residences; operates 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 137,000 employees at 2009 year-end. It is recognized by FORTUNE® as one of the best companies to work for, and by Newsweek as one of the greenest big companies in America. In fiscal year 2009, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of nearly $11 billion. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com. 

SOURCE The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas