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Sheraton Hotels and Resorts is an American international hotel chain owned by Marriott International. As of June 30, 2020, Sheraton operates 446 hotels with 155,617 rooms globally, including locations in North America, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean, in addition to 84 hotels with 23,092 rooms in the pipeline.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

HistoryEdit

File:Boston - buildings 56.JPG
Sheraton Boston, the chain's 100th property and flagship for many years

Early yearsEdit

The origins of Sheraton Hotels date to 1933, when Harvard classmates Ernest Henderson and Robert Moore purchased the Continental Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In 1937, Henderson and Moore purchased the Standard Investing Corporation and the International Equities Corporation, combining them into the Standard Equities Corporation,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> the company through which they would run their hotels. Also in 1937, they purchased their second hotel, and the first as part of the new company, the Stonehaven Hotel in Springfield, Massachusetts, a converted apartment building. Sheraton dates its founding to that year and considers that property its first hotel.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The chain got its name from the third hotel the pair acquired, in Boston, in 1939.<ref name=57report>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It had a large lighted sign on the roof saying "Hotel Sheraton," which was too expensive to change. Instead, Henderson and Moore decided to call all of their hotels by that name.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The original name was probably a reference to furniture designer Thomas Sheraton.<ref>https://www.bu.edu/articles/2012/one-address-many-stories/</ref>

Henderson and Moore purchased Boston's famed Copley Plaza Hotel in 1941, and continued expanding rapidly, buying existing properties along the East Coast from Maine to Florida.<ref name=57report/>

In 1946, the Standard Equities Corporation merged with the United States Realty and Improvement Corporation, forming the Sheraton Corporation of America,<ref name=57report/> which became the first hotel chain to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1947.<ref name=history>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

ExpansionEdit

In 1949, Sheraton expanded internationally, buying the Ford Hotels chain, with three properties in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> They quickly resold the Toronto and Ottawa properties to finance their continued Canadian expansion in 1950, paying $4.8 million to purchase Cardy Hotels, a chain of six properties in Ontario and Quebec.<ref>Template:Cite court</ref> In April 1951, the Park Sheraton Hotel in New York City would host the 1951 NBA draft, which was the second ever draft under the NBA name and fifth overall NBA draft in existence by that time.<ref>Template:Cite book, pg. 20</ref>

In 1956, Sheraton paid $30 million to buy the Eppley Hotel Company, which was then the largest privately held hotel business in the United States, with 22 properties across six Midwestern states.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Sheraton retained ten of the largest hotels and immediately resold the other twelve. That same year, Sheraton acquired its first motels, purchasing two properties in the suburbs of Syracuse, New York.<ref name=57report/> In 1957, Sheraton, which had previously focused on acquiring existing hotels, opened its first newly built hotel, the Philadelphia Sheraton Hotel.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1958, Sheraton became the first hotel chain to centralize and computerize its reservations when it introduced Reservatron, the hotel industry's first automatic electronic reservations system.<ref name=RFB>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1959, Sheraton acquired its first properties outside North America, purchasing four hotels owned by the Matson Lines on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii - the Moana Hotel, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, the SurfRider Hotel, and the Princess Kaiulani Hotel.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> That same year<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Sheraton opened its first newly built motel, marketed as a "Highway Hotel," the Sheraton Inn, located in Binghamton, New York.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The early 1960s saw the arrival of the first Sheraton hotels outside the US and Canada, with the opening of the Sheraton-Tel Aviv Hotel in Israel in March 1961 and two Caribbean properties in 1962 - the Sheraton-Kingston Hotel in Jamaica<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the Sheraton British Colonial in Nassau, Bahamas.

In 1962, Sheraton created a franchise division, primarily to operate Sheraton Motor Inns, large highway motels providing free parking.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1963 Sheraton opened its first hotel in South America, the Macuto-Sheraton Hotel, outside Caracas, Venezuela.<ref name=history/> In 1965 the 100th Sheraton property, the Sheraton-Boston Hotel, opened.<ref name=history/> In 1966 Sheraton opened its first hotel in an Arab country, the Kuwait-Sheraton Hotel.<ref name=67report>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1967 Sheraton unveiled Reservatron II, a computer system for personalized reservations.<ref name="RFB"/> That same year, Sheraton opened its first hotel in Asia, the Sheraton-Philippines Hotel in Manila; its first hotel in Europe, the Sheraton-Du Cap Hotel on the island of Corsica in France; and its first hotels in Australia, two Sheraton Motor Hotels in Melbourne and Sydney.<ref name=67report/>

Purchase by ITTEdit

In 1968, the multinational conglomerate ITT Corporation purchased the chain and immediately sold eighteen aging Sheraton properties.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Under ITT's ownership, Sheraton quickly moved away from ownership and operation of its properties to a new model of franchising and management, as the chain expanded greatly both in the US and abroad.<ref name=FundingUniverse>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In late 1969, Sheraton introduced the hotel industry's first<ref name="RFB"/> nationwide toll-free number, which displaced two hundred local Sheraton reservation numbers.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The radio jingle for "Eight-Oh-Oh, Three-Two-Five, Three-Five Three-Five"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> "ran throughout the decade and into the eighties" but the jingle's lifespan went even beyond.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1970, Sheraton introduced the Sheraton Towers concept, a line of luxury "hotel-within-a-hotel" facilities designed for business travelers and located within Sheraton's largest and most exclusive hotels. The first Sheraton Towers to open was in the chain's flagship Sheraton-Boston Hotel.<ref name="FundingUniverse" /> That same year, Sheraton opened its first hotel in North Africa, the Cario-Sheraton Hotel & Casino. In 1971 Sheraton opened its first hotels in Continental Europe, the Sheraton Stockholm Hotel and the Sheraton-Copenhagen Hotel. In 1972, Sheraton opened its first hotel in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Sheraton-Mont Febe Palace in Yaounde, Cameroon. From 1977 to 1997 the company was headquartered at 60 State Street in Boston.

In 1985, Sheraton became the first western chain to operate a hotel bearing the name of an international company<ref name=Foot01/><ref name=Foot02/> in the People's Republic of China, when it assumed management of the Great Wall Hotel in Beijing, a financially troubled two-year-old Chinese-American joint venture,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which became the Great Wall Sheraton.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

By 1987, The New York Times described it as "50 years old, the world's largest hotel chain, and consumer-driven."<ref name=30Jan87>Template:Cite news</ref>

On October 24, 1989, Sheraton was officially rebranded as ITT Sheraton.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Development in the 1990sEdit

On January 13, 1992, ITT Sheraton designated 28 of its premier hotels and 33 of the Sheraton Towers as the ITT Sheraton Luxury Collection.<ref>Template:Cite press release </ref> The flagship of the division was The St Regis in New York City.

In 1994, ITT Sheraton purchased a controlling interest in the Italian CIGA chain, the Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi, or Italian Grand Hotels Company.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The chain had begun by operating hotels in Italy, but over-expanded across Europe just as a recession hit, and had been seized from its previous owner, the Aga Khan, by its creditors.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The majority of these hotels were placed in the ITT Sheraton Luxury Collection, though a few were placed in the Sheraton division.

In April 1995, ITT Sheraton introduced a new, mid-range hotel brand, Four Points by Sheraton, to replace the designation of certain hotels as Sheraton Inns.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Purchase by StarwoodEdit

In 1998, Starwood acquired ITT Sheraton for $13.3 billion, topping an offer by rival Hilton.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Under Starwood's leadership, Sheraton began renovating many hotels and expanding the brand's footprint.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Starwood also began marketing The Luxury Collection as a completely separate brand, even though it contained a large number of hotels still named Sheraton. Most of those properties have since been renamed. Only three such hotels remain today - Sheraton Addis in (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia), Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit in (Bangkok, Thailand), and Sheraton Kuwait in (Kuwait City, Kuwait). Also in 1998, Sheraton joined with the Arabella Hospitality Group in Germany to create ArabellaSheraton,<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> a joint venture under which 14 Arabella Hotels in Germany, Switzerland and Spain were rebranded as ArabellaSheraton Hotels.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

In 1999, Sheraton bought the outstanding shares in CIGA, giving it complete ownership.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2015, Starwood introduced the "Sheraton Grand" brand, higher-end Sheraton properties located in urban or resort destinations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Takeover by MarriottEdit

In 2016, Marriott International purchased Starwood Hotels, and the newly merged company again became the world's largest hotel and resort company.<ref name=30Jan87/> Although the Sheraton brand expresses quality in Asia, aging properties have made the US market more problematic.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2023, Marriott announced a new spinoff brand of Four Points by Sheraton, called Four Points Express by Sheraton, targeting the mid-range market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Its first property opened in Nilüfer, Bursa, Turkey that fall.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2024, the brand was renamed Four Points Flex by Sheraton.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

AccommodationsEdit

North
America
Europe Middle E.
& Africa
Template:0Asia &Template:0
Pacific
Caribbean
Latin Am.
Total
2016<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref> || Properties || Template:Nb5196 || Template:Nb562 || Template:Nb5Template:030 || Template:Nb5Template:0123 || Template:Nb5Template:038 || Template:Nb5449

Rooms Template:074,350 Template:017,069 Template:010,015 Template:047,207 Template:Nb510,183 Template:0158,824
2017<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref> || Properties || Template:Nb5192 || Template:Nb562 || Template:Nb5Template:030 || Template:Nb5Template:0122 || Template:Nb5Template:035 || Template:Nb5441

Rooms Template:073,074 Template:016,847 Template:010,236 Template:046,143 Template:Nb59,450 Template:0155,750
2018<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref> || Properties || Template:Nb5190 || Template:Nb561 || Template:Nb5Template:031 || Template:Nb5Template:0123 || Template:Nb5Template:036 || Template:Nb5441

Rooms Template:072,674 Template:016,580 Template:010,408 Template:046,073 Template:Nb59,882 Template:0155,617
2019<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref> || Properties || Template:Nb5189 || Template:Nb562 || Template:Nb5Template:031 || Template:Nb5Template:0130 || Template:Nb5Template:035 || Template:Nb5447

Rooms Template:072,039 Template:017,054 Template:09,910 Template:047,878 Template:Nb59,682 Template:0156,563
2020<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref> || Properties || Template:Nb5183 || Template:Nb562 || Template:Nb5Template:030 || Template:Nb5Template:0136 || Template:Nb5Template:031 || Template:Nb5442

Rooms Template:070,245 Template:016,900 Template:09,299 Template:049,399 Template:Nb58,613 Template:0154,456
2021<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref> || Properties || Template:Nb5178 || Template:Nb557 || Template:Nb5Template:033 || Template:Nb5Template:0139 || Template:Nb5Template:030 || Template:Nb5437

Rooms Template:068,824 Template:016,008 Template:09,699 Template:050,315 Template:Nb58,396 Template:0153,242
2022<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref> || Properties || Template:Nb5172 || Template:Nb550 || Template:Nb5Template:033 || Template:Nb5Template:0146 || Template:Nb5Template:029 || Template:Nb5430

Rooms Template:066,621 Template:014,096 Template:09,516 Template:052,487 Template:Nb58,226 Template:0150,946
2023<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref> || Properties || Template:Nb5168 || Template:Nb551 || Template:Nb5Template:032 || Template:Nb5Template:0155 || Template:Nb5Template:030 || Template:Nb5436

Rooms Template:064,923 Template:014,279 Template:09,234 Template:055,316 Template:Nb58,442 Template:0152,194

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

External linksEdit

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Template:Portalbar Template:Marriott international Template:Hotel chains Template:ITT Corporation