New York City becomes the first, and only, city in the world to fly all nine Starwood brand flags. Set to reach 25 hotels in New York City by 2014, Starwood has the largest portfolio of four and five star hotels in the five boroughs of New York City.
In November, Starwood hits 200th hotel milestone in Asia Pacific and widens its lead as Asia’s largest operator of four and five star hotels with a flurry of new openings at year end.
December brings the announcement of Starwood’s acquisition of 49.8% of the shares of Design Hotels AG from Arabella Hospitality SE, one of Starwood’s longtime partners in Germany. Berlin-based Design Hotels, a publicly traded company and provider of distribution, sales, marketing and consulting services for hotels boasts a portfolio of over 200 member hotels in 40 countries. Design Hotels’ hand-picked collection of hotels are independently owned, but united by a passion for thought-provoking design, aesthetic and service-driven experiences.