Dive Brief:
- Barry Sternlicht’s SH Hotels & Resorts, the parent company of 1 Hotels, Baccarat Hotels and Treehouse Hotels, is rebranding to Starwood Hotels, reviving the flag that Sternlicht himself launched more than 30 years ago, according to a Wednesday release.
- The storied Starwood Hotels & Resorts brand first became a public company in 1994 before adding notable flags like Westin, W Hotels and Le Méridien to its fold, per Marriott International documentation. In 2016, Marriott acquired the Starwood portfolio, growing its reach to more than 5,700 hotels. Now, after years of the Starwood name sitting dormant, Sternlicht has gained permission to bring it back to life for the repositioning of his SH Hotels & Resorts.
- The new Starwood Hotels is poised for significant growth in 2025, with more than 40 properties open or in development across its three brands, according to the release. The hotel company plans to elevate the guest experience through new culinary and holistic wellness offerings as well.
Dive Insight:
Sternlicht is rebranding SH Hotels & Resorts on the heels of the company’s 10th anniversary, the release detailed. By reviving the Starwood Hotels name, “we aim to marry this trusted legacy of youth, innovation, and guest focus with our modern, tech-enabled, personalized approach to hospitality,” he said in a statement.
Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano told Hotel News Now at January’s ALIS conference that Sternlicht had retained the Starwood name following Marriott’s acquisition of the company’s portfolio of brands and has worked “collaboratively and transparently with Marriott” over the last year to bring it back to life.
The new Starwood Hotels plans to ramp up growth of its 1 Hotels & Homes, Baccarat Hotels and Treehouse Hotels brands, with several worldwide openings planned for this year, according to the release.
The 1 Hotels brand, specifically, will open a 153-room hotel in Seattle with “immersive designs and reclaimed materials that celebrate the region's unique heritage,” per the release. The brand will also expand in Melbourne, Australia; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Tokyo this year, in addition to Mexico, France, Crete and Saudi Arabia beyond 2025. The existing 1 Hotels portfolio includes 1 Hotel Central Park in New York City, which Host Hotels & Resorts acquired last year for $265 million.
Baccarat Hotels, meanwhile, will expand to Rome, Florence, Dubai and the Maldives in the years to come, the company announced. And Treehouse Hotels will open a 254-key property in Sunnyvale, California, this spring with several food and beverage concepts and flexible spaces for both social and business gatherings.
Dining and wellness will “continue to be at the heart of Starwood Hotels’ approach to hospitality,” according to the company. Sustainability, likewise, will be core to the new company’s offerings.
The 1 Hotels portfolio, for example, will offer plant-forward menus created in partnership with local farms. The hotels will also incorporate organic bath products, upcycled amenities and refillable water stations that reduce reliance on single-use plastics, per the release.
“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,” Sternlicht said in a statement.
