SH Hotels & Resorts Rebrands as Starwood Hotels, Reviving Iconic Name

SH Hotels & Resorts, the parent company of brands such as 1 Hotels and Baccarat, is officially rebranding as Starwood Hotels, bringing back one of the hotel industry’s most iconic names.

Before Marriott acquired it in 2016, Starwood was once the largest hotel company in the world by EBITDA. It included brands such as Sheraton, Westin, Le Méridien, and Four Points, and its acquisition made Marriott the world’s largest hotel company.

The original Starwood was led by Barry Sternlicht, who founded the brand nearly 30 years ago. Sternlicht, the current chairman and CEO of Starwood Capital Group, which owns SH Hotels brands, is now leading the rebrand back to Starwood.

Sternlicht had retained the Starwood name after the Marriott deal but was still given the green light to revive the brand. Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano told attendees at last month’s Americas Lodging Investment Summit that Sternlicht had reached out to him last year to discuss reviving the name, and Capuano agreed.

In a statement Thursday, Sternlicht said, “I didn’t want to do another hotel brand after W” and instead wanted to revive the long-loved Starwood name.

“The world doesn’t need another brand, it needs a better one. 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. 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.”

Three Distinct Brands

The new Starwood will launch with three distinct brands, each with its own unique positioning in the market.

The first is 1 Hotels, a collection of sustainable luxury hotels that debuted in 2015 with openings in Miami and Manhattan. Since then, it has expanded across North America, with properties in Brooklyn, West Hollywood, San Francisco, Nashville, Toronto, and Hawaii, as well as internationally in London and Sanya, China.

This year, 1 Hotels will open new properties in Seattle, Melbourne, Copenhagen, and Tokyo. Beyond 2025, the brand is planning additional locations in Cabo San Lucas, Paris, Crete, Austin, Saudi Arabia, and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

The second brand is Baccarat Hotels, named after the famed crystal company. It opened its flagship property, Baccarat Hotel New York, in March 2015. Baccarat is an ultra-luxury brand also readying significant expansion, with new hotels coming to Rome, Florence, Riyadh, Dubai, and the Maldives.

The third brand is Treehouse Hotels, the newest addition under Starwood. Treehouse Hotels describes itself as offering “whimsical escapes,” and Sternlicht has characterized the brand as a “home” rather than a traditional hotel, though it remains a luxury brand.

The first Treehouse Hotel opened in London in 2019. Treehouse Manchester, its second property, is set to open on March 19, 2025, followed by Treehouse Silicon Valley in Sunnyvale, California, later that year.