Incorporated on June 28, 2004 inthe State of Maryland

Exhibit 4.5

Incorporated on June 28, 2004

in the State of Maryland

SUNSTONE HOTEL INVESTORS, INC.

a Maryland corporation

This certifies that                                                  , is the record holder of                                           fully paid and non-assessable shares of Series C Cumulative Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value per share, of SUNSTONE HOTEL INVESTORS, INC. transferable only on the share register of the corporation, in person or by duly authorized attorney, upon surrender of this certificate properly endorsed or assigned.

This certificate and the shares represented hereby are issued and shall be held subject to all the provisions of the charter and the Bylaws of the corporation and any amendments thereto.

A statement of all of the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights may be obtained by any stockholder, upon request and without charge, at the principal office of the corporation.

WITNESS the signatures of its duly authorized officers this      day of         , 200  .

See Restrictive Legend(s) on Reverse

IMPORTANT NOTICE – CLASSES OF STOCK

THE CORPORATION IS AUTHORIZED TO ISSUE CAPITAL STOCK OF MORE THAN ONE CLASS, CONSISTING OF COMMON STOCK AND ONE OR MORE CLASSES OF PREFERRED STOCK. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS AUTHORIZED TO DETERMINE THE PREFERENCES, LIMITATIONS AND RELATIVE RIGHTS OF ANY CLASS OF THE PREFERRED STOCK BEFORE THE ISSUANCE OF SHARES OF SUCH CLASS OF PREFERRED STOCK. THE CORPORATION WILL FURNISH, WITHOUT CHARGE, TO ANY STOCKHOLDER MAKING A WRITTEN REQUEST THEREFOR, A COPY OF THE CORPORATION’S CHARTER AND A WRITTEN STATEMENT OF THE DESIGNATIONS, RELATIVE RIGHTS, PREFERENCES, CONVERSION OR OTHER RIGHTS, VOTING POWERS, RESTRICTIONS, LIMITATIONS AS TO DIVIDENDS AND OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS, QUALIFICATIONS AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF REDEMPTION OF THE STOCK OF EACH CLASS WHICH THE CORPORATION HAS THE AUTHORITY TO ISSUE AND, IF THE CORPORATION IS AUTHORIZED TO ISSUE ANY PREFERRED OR SPECIAL CLASS AND SERIES, (i) THE DIFFERENCES IN THE RELATIVE RIGHTS AND PREFERENCES BETWEEN THE SHARES OF EACH SERIES TO THE EXTENT SET, AND (ii) THE AUTHORITY OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO SET RIGHTS AND PREFERENCES OF SUBSEQUENT SERIES. REQUESTS FOR SUCH WRITTEN STATEMENT MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE SECRETARY OF THE CORPORATION AT ITS PRINCIPAL OFFICE.

RESTRICTION ON OWNERSHIP AND TRANSFER

THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE AND ANY SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION THEREOF ARE SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS ON BENEFICIAL AND CONSTRUCTIVE OWNERSHIP AND TRANSFER FOR THE PURPOSE, AMONG OTHERS, OF THE CORPORATION’S MAINTENANCE OF ITS STATUS AS A REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST UNDER THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986, AS AMENDED, OR ANY SUCCESSOR STATUTE (THE “CODE”). SUBJECT TO CERTAIN FURTHER RESTRICTIONS AND EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED IN THE CORPORATION’S CHARTER, (I) NO PERSON MAY BENEFICIALLY OR CONSTRUCTIVELY OWN SHARES OF THE CORPORATION’S COMMON STOCK IN EXCESS OF 9.8 PERCENT (IN VALUE OR NUMBER OF SHARES) OF THE OUTSTANDING SHARES OF COMMON STOCK OF THE CORPORATION UNLESS SUCH PERSON IS AN EXCEPTED HOLDER (IN WHICH CASE THE EXCEPTED HOLDER LIMIT SHALL BE APPLICABLE); (II) NO PERSON MAY BENEFICIALLY OR CONSTRUCTIVELY OWN SHARES OF CAPITAL STOCK OF THE CORPORATION IN EXCESS OF 9.8 PERCENT OF THE VALUE OF THE TOTAL OUTSTANDING SHARES OF CAPITAL STOCK OF THE CORPORATION, UNLESS SUCH PERSON IS AN EXCEPTED HOLDER (IN WHICH CASE THE EXCEPTED HOLDER LIMIT SHALL BE APPLICABLE); (III) NO PERSON MAY BENEFICIALLY OR CONSTRUCTIVELY OWN CAPITAL STOCK THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE CORPORATION BEING “CLOSELY HELD” UNDER SECTION 856(H) OF THE CODE OR OTHERWISE CAUSE THE CORPORATION TO FAIL TO QUALIFY AS A REIT; AND (IV) NO PERSON MAY TRANSFER SHARES OF CAPITAL STOCK IF SUCH TRANSFER WOULD RESULT IN THE CAPITAL STOCK OF THE CORPORATION BEING OWNED BY FEWER THAN 100 PERSONS. ANY PERSON WHO BENEFICIALLY OR CONSTRUCTIVELY OWNS OR ATTEMPTS TO BENEFICIALLY OR CONSTRUCTIVELY OWN SHARES OF CAPITAL STOCK WHICH CAUSES OR WILL CAUSE A PERSON TO BENEFICIALLY OR CONSTRUCTIVELY OWN SHARES OF CAPITAL STOCK IN EXCESS OR IN VIOLATION OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MUST IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY THE CORPORATION. IF ANY OF THE RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER OR OWNERSHIP ARE VIOLATED, THE SHARES OF CAPITAL STOCK REPRESENTED HEREBY WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY TRANSFERRED TO A TRUSTEE OF A TRUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF ONE OR MORE CHARITABLE BENEFICIARIES. IN ADDITION, THE CORPORATION MAY REDEEM SHARES UPON THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN ITS SOLE DISCRETION IF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS DETERMINES THAT OWNERSHIP OR A TRANSFER OR OTHER EVENT MAY VIOLATE THE RESTRICTIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE. FURTHERMORE, UPON THE OCCURRENCE OF CERTAIN EVENTS, ATTEMPTED TRANSFERS IN VIOLATION OF THE RESTRICTIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE MAY BE VOID AB INITIO. ALL CAPITALIZED TERMS IN THIS LEGEND HAVE THE MEANINGS DEFINED IN THE CHARTER OF THE CORPORATION, AS THE SAME MAY BE AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME, A COPY OF WHICH, INCLUDING THE RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER AND OWNERSHIP, WILL BE FURNISHED TO EACH HOLDER OF CAPITAL STOCK OF THE CORPORATION ON REQUEST AND WITHOUT CHARGE. REQUESTS FOR SUCH A COPY MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE SECRETARY OF THE CORPORATION AT ITS PRINCIPAL OFFICE.

NEITHER THE SHARES OF SERIES C PREFERRED STOCK EVIDENCED HEREBY NOR THE SHARES OF COMMON STOCK ISSUABLE UPON THEIR CONVERSION HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT (A) PURSUANT TO A REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION AND (B) IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF THE STATES OF THE UNITED STATES.

For Value Received                                                       hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto                                                      ,                                                      ,(                    ) shares represented by the within certificate and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint                                                                           Attorney to transfer the said stock on the books of the within named corporation with full power of substitution in the premises.

Dated                     

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Signed in the presence of