Starwood Hotels & Resorts will become the first U.S.
hotelier to sign deals in Cuba in almost 60 years, announcing over the weekend
it has signed two existing properties in Havana and has a letter of intent from
a third.
The iconic Hotel Inglaterra will join The Luxury Collection,
and Hotel Quinta Avenida will be
a Four Points by Sheraton. Both will reopen
under their new brands later in 2016, after renovations. Hotel Santa Isabel has
signed a letter of intent to join The
Luxury Collection.
"With Cuba's
rich history, natural beauty and strong culture, there is no question the
entire U.S. hospitality industry has watched Cuba with great interest,"
said Starwood CEO Thomas Mangas, "and we are thrilled to lead the charge
and bring our sophisticated, high-end brands into the market at this inflection
point."
Starwood's
announcement comes just after the United States and Cuba signed a memorandum of understanding in February to re-establish scheduled air
service between the two countries for the first time since 1963. This month,
U.S. air carriers began vying for 110 daily round-trip slots to Cuba.
Marriott International said on Sunday the U.S. Department of
the Treasury also had given it the green light to pursue properties in Cuba,
but it has yet to announce any deals. Marriott still may gain from Starwood's
early action, as the two companies just signed a
revised merger agreement and expect the deal to close in mid-2016.
One U.S. lodging company already has entered
Cuba. Airbnb's recent "How Airbnb Helped Cuban Travel Flourish"
report stated that between April 2015 and March 2016, more than 13,000 U.S.
guests stayed with Airbnb hosts in Cuba. Today, there are almost 4,000 Airbnb
listings in the country, up from 1,000 when the homesharing platform launched
there a year ago.