Starwood Executives Say Brands To Stay Intact Post-Merger

With a target date of early July to complete Starwood’s acquisition by Marriott International, top Starwood executives told a gathering of travel media they expect that “brand integrity” will remain intact as the combined company integrates 30 flags.

Jim Petrus, Brand Leader for St. Regis, said, “It’s safe to assume they bought us because of our great assets,” pointing to his flagship in New York and The Phoenician and Venice’s Gritti Palace, both part of The Luxury Collection. He said while there are two integration teams hard at work, at the brand level executives are busy with business as usual; St. Regis is in the middle of a spate of openings.

Hoyt Harper, Brand Leader for Luxury Collection, noted his group opened 11 new hotels in 2015 and is now working on a Cuba project.  St. Regis recently opened the first of three hotels in Dubai, will open a hotel in Kuala Lumpur early next month and has a resort in the Maldives slated for September.