Announced today
that it has signed an agreement to acquire 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.
The opportunity to acquire a stake in Design Hotels came through
Starwood's relationship with Arabella Hospitality SE, which recently
re-focused its hotel strategy mainly on ownership and asset management
and as a result chose to divest its shares in Design Hotels. Starwood
continues to manage or franchise 20 of Arabella Hospitality SE's hotels
in Europe.