In an announcement this week from SH Hotels & Resorts, based in Miami, the name of Barry Sternlicht’s hospitality group has officially become Starwood Hotels again.
Sternlicht established the original Starwood Hotels and Resorts brand almost 30 years ago, through various purchases, brand expansions and new brand launches. Acquisitions included the Westin and Sheraton brands, while Sternlicht created W Hotels. Under Sternlicht Starwood become the world’s largest hotel company by EBITDA and Marriott became the world’s largest hotel group when it completed its acquisition of Starwood for around US$13 billion in September 2016.
In its second era, Starwood’s first hotel in Australia is 1 Hotel Melbourne, a lifestyle brand focused on sustainability, scheduled to open in late May.
The property sits on the banks of the Yarra River opposite the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, while also having a significant event space footprint itself. Media and some meeting planners who attended the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) last month were given a hard hat tour of the hotel – micenet included. The hotel impressed.
Meanwhile, a second Starwood property under the Treehouse brand is to be built in Adelaide. To date, no properties under the organisation’s third brand, Baccarat, have been announced for Australia.
“Reintroducing the Starwood Hotels name is personally very exciting for me,” said Sternlicht.
“It’s a tribute to a legacy that millions of people know and trust – and it comes at a decisive moment in our company’s history.
“Over the past decade, SH Hotels & Resorts has built three extraordinary brands, including the mission-driven 1 Hotels, which demonstrates how guests can live a luxurious, sustainable life without sacrifice,” he said.
“I didn’t want to do another typical hotel brand after W. The world doesn’t need another brand, it needs a better 1.
“By reviving the Starwood Hotels name, we aim to marry this trusted legacy of youth, innovation and guest focus with our modern, tech-enabled, personalised approach to hospitality. As we take this next step, we’re doubling down on our mission to inspire, innovate and make a difference – for our guests, our partners and the planet.”
The new Starwood brand is set for “significant growth” in 2025. It currently has 40 hotels either open or in development across four continents.
