Starwood Hotels & Resorts, founded by Barry Sternlicht, is among the biggest hotel brands in the world, Sheraton, St. Regis, Westin, W Hotel and Le Meridian. Starwoods was purchased by the hotel giant Marriott International in 2016 and is slowly merging Starwoods’ Preferred Guest Loyalty Program with Marriott’s Rewards.

The hotel chain is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc and provides services to both leisure and business travelers across the globe. Starwood’s portfolio is a mix of directly managed and subsidized hotels. The hotel operation includes a list of big hotel names such as Four Points by Sheraton and Westin wherein hotels are managed or franchised under this brand for a fee. Meanwhile, the Vacation Ownership and Residential operation includes development, selling, operating and financing for customers who purchase licensing fees and residences.

Originally a real estate firm for the Starwood Capital, the company owned several hotels throughout different regions in North America. Starwood purchased Westin from the Aoki Corporation in 1994 and then acquired Sheraton in 1998. In 2014, rumors of Starwood taking a bid over the new ownership of the InterContinental Hotel Groups worth $10 billion surfaces, but was never confirmed by the hotel chain magnate.