It’s official: Starwood Hotels is back

“Our journey has just begun,” said Sternlicht, founder and chairman of Starwood Hotels and chairman of Starwood Capital Group. “As we embrace bold ideas, expand into new markets, and continue to reinvent the hospitality landscape, we hope to build a legacy that will inspire future generations. The best is yet to come.”

Sternlict added, “Reintroducing the Starwood Hotels name is personally very exciting for me. It’s a tribute to a legacy that millions of people know and trust—and it comes at a decisive moment in our company’s history. Over the past decade, SH Hotels & Resorts has built three extraordinary brands, including the mission-driven 1 Hotels, which demonstrates how guests can live a luxurious, sustainable life without sacrifice. I didn’t want to do another typical hotel brand after W. The world doesn’t need another brand, it needs a better 1. 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.”

At ALIS in late January, now Starwood Hotels CEO Raul Leal told Hotel Investment Today, “We’re going to be looking for opportunities to help grow the new Starwood platform all over the world… We have the capital to be able to do deals, and we’ll be out there looking to grow this thing. It may not be Starwood 1.0, but we certainly respect the legacy of Starwood 1.0 and want to build on that.”

Today’s Starwood pipeline includes the debut of flagship properties in Tokyo, Melbourne, and Copenhagen, as well as further expansion into new markets such as the Middle East and Southern Europe.

The 1 Hotels brand launched in 2015 will open properties this year in Seattle, Melbourne (including 114 residences), Copenhagen and Tokyo. Openings beyond 2025 include Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Paris, Elounda Hills in Crete, Austin, Texas, Riyadh, and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

The luxury Baccarat Hotels brand with a flagship in New York City is expanding in the coming years to Rome, Florence, Riyadh, Dubai, and the Maldives. No opening dates have been given.

Treehouse Hotels, the newest of Starwood’s three brands with a flagship property in central London, is expanding to Manchester, England, and the Silicon Valley in California this spring. Additional hotels in the pipeline include Adelaide, Australia, Riyadh, and Miami’s Brickell neighborhood.

Several branded residences are also in development to add to 1 Homes South Beach and Baccarat Residences New York. Upcoming Baccarat Residences will complement hotel openings in Dubai, the Maldives, and Riyadh, while new 1 Homes locations are launching alongside hotels in Melbourne (debuting this year), Crete, and San Miguel de Allende. Baccarat Brickell is planned as a standalone development.

Sustainability emphasis

The new Starwood said sustainability has and will continue to be a cornerstone of its growth strategy.

All properties work to achieve LEED, BREEAM or similar certification, demonstrating a dedication to sustainable design, construction, and operations.

To date, SH Hotels & Resorts has offset 46,612 tons of CO2, significantly reducing its environmental footprint. Expanded zero-waste programs have resulted in a 75% diversion rate, with 3.4 million pounds of materials recycled annually. Certified Sustainable Gatherings have achieved a 99.6% diversion rate, setting a new standard for eco-conscious events. In addition, 417,265 pounds of materials have been reused and donated in 2024 alone, including more than 52,681 pounds of food donated to over 35 charity partners.

Properties like the new 1 Hotel & Homes Melbourne will showcase Goods Shed No. 5, an example of adaptive reuse that preserves the city’s cultural heritage while incorporating circular economy principles and innovative sustainability practices. At the new 1 Hotel Seattle, reclaimed timber, biophilic design elements, and moss-inspired art merge the built environment with the Pacific Northwest’s natural beauty.

Across the portfolio, plant-forward menus and partnerships with local farms highlight a dedication to rethinking culinary practices while minimizing environmental impact. Hotels also present organic bath products and upcycled amenities to refillable water stations that reduce reliance on single-use plastics.

Starwood said the hotel team will grow from 3,900 to more than 5,000 members in 2025. Community engagement programs like the 1 Less Thing initiative—which encourages mindful disposal—and partnerships with local organizations further amplify this impact, providing contributions to the communities surrounding each property.

By Jeffrey Weinstein