Marriott completes acquisition of Starwood
Marriott International has completed its highly anticipated acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts to create the world's largest hotel company today (23 September).
The company now has 1.1m rooms across 5,700 properties and 30 brands in more than 110 countries. Its expanded European portfolio (104,000 rooms across 504 hotels) makes it the third largest hotel group in Europe, and Marriott UK & Ireland now amounts to 80 hotels across 17 different brands, employing 8,716 staff.
The deal was initially delayed after the go-ahead was given by more than 40 countries when the Chinese Ministry of Commerce requested to extend the time period to review the merger. It was finally given the green light earlier this week.
www.members.marriott.com, for all members of the combined company's loyalty programmes.
Stephanie Linnartz, executive vice president and global chief commercial officer at Marriott, said: "Marriott will draw upon the very best each program offers and we can't wait to show the loyal members of these programs the power and benefits of Marriott and Starwood coming together."
J.W. Marriott, Jr., executive chairman and chairman of the board of Marriott International, said: "With the addition of Starwood's strong brands, great properties, and talented people, we have dramatically expanded our ability to provide the best experiences to our customers. We also welcome the tremendous responsibility as the world's largest hotel company to be a good global steward, providing new opportunities for our associates and building the economic strength of the communities we call home."
Arne Sorenson, president and chief executive officer of Marriott International, added: "We can now provide a better range of choices for our guests, more opportunities for our associates, and greater financial benefits for our owners, franchisees, and shareholders."
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