Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide

Starwood is one of the largest hotel and leisure companies in the world and occurs under nine different brands. The company is organized into two business segments, hotels and vacation ownership.

The stores focus on the operation of hotels and resorts around the world primarily in the luxury sector or in the upscale hotel industry. Starwood is committed to acquire shares, management or franchise rights to hotels in this segment. As of December 31, 2010, this included a total of 1,027 company-owned, leased, managed and franchised hotels with approximately 302,000 rooms in 100 countries

• 3.1 ArabellaStarwood

History

First, Starwood Lodging owned a number of hotels in North America, many of them under different brand names. In 1994, the Westin Hotel Company was purchased by the Japanese Aoki Corporation. 1998 Starwood acquired the rights to the Sheraton brand, Four Points by Sheraton and the Luxury Collection, all of ITT Sheraton.

In 1999 Starwood brand "W" hotels, which purports to be a young and sassy brand. In September 2005, Starwood announced the launch of the brand, aloft, to 2012 500 aloft hotels are built. 2005 Starwood purchased the Le Méridien brand.

2004 saw founder and CEO Barry Sternlicht back from his chairmanship to focus its activities on its other companies, Starwood Capital. He remained, however, a member of the Board until 2005. Was succeeded by Steven J. Heyer, Starwood sold under many proprietary hotels and so developed into a management company for the hotel now operated mostly in the franchise system. In April 2007, Steven J. Heyer left the company at the request of the Supervisory Board for contempt congruence between Heyer and the Supervisory Board. Bruce W. Duncan served as interim CEO until September 2007, when the company announced Heyer's successor, Frits van Paasschen.

Brands

Sheraton

The largest hotel group Starwood Sheraton experienced with more than 400 hotels in 75 countries. The first Sheraton opened its doors in 1937 in Springfield, Massachusetts and conquered the international market already twelve years later, in 1949. In 1945, Sheraton was the first hotel chain that was listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Westin Hotel & Resorts

Westin Hotels & Resorts is the original brand of Starwood. At the Westin brand includes over 150 houses worldwide. Westin has a private bed and bathroom concept, the so-called Heavenly Bed ® and Heavenly Bath ®.

In 2006, Westin was the first hotel company, the Smoke -Free Policy a, which prohibits smoking throughout the hotel.

Le Méridien

Le Méridien, founded in 1972 by Air France in Paris, is Europe's traditional brand of Starwood and was taken over by the Hotel Group 2005. She mixes in the various locations of contemporary culture with its European heritage. One can find hotels in Europe, America, the Asia -Pacific region, the Middle East and Africa. The portfolio of Le Méridien currently includes 120 hotels in more than 50 countries.

The Luxury Collection

The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts is a collection of 70 hotels and resorts in over 25 countries with a range of services for customers with high demands. These hotels are in some cases several centuries old.

St. Regis

St. Regis Hotels are luxury hotels of the top category. There are only 18 houses this brand, three of them in Europe. The name of the hotel chain goes back to the famous St. Regis New York in Manhattan, which was built by Colonel John Jacob Astor IV in 1904.

Four Points by Sheraton

Four Points by Sheraton is a 4-star hotel with comfortable business rooms. The brand was founded in 1995 as a sub-brand of Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. With new stores in over 21 countries, Four Points by Sheraton is the fastest growing brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Today includes more than 130 hotels with a total of 23,223 rooms about this brand

W Hotels

" Whatever / Whenever" is the slogan of W Hotels. The brand currently operates 34 hotels; all are characterized by the combination of modern design and a focus on fashion, music, entertainment, design, architecture and popular culture.

Aloft

Aloft hotels are upscale hotels avant-garde, whose concept was created as a spin-off of "W Hotels". The brand includes about 40 hotels in the U.S., China and the Middle East.

Element

Inspired by Westin brand element is a new hotel concept that offers modern design for travelers with longer stays. The hotels of the brand element put emphasis on modern approaches and special design. Currently, the brand is element represented with 7 locations in the U.S..

Joint venture

ArabellaStarwood

Arabella Starwood Hotels & Resorts (formerly Arabella Sheraton) was a joint venture of the Starwood group and the Arabella Hospitality Group, a subsidiary of Schörghuber Group.