Marriott closes on Starwood deal

Several of the best known names in travel are now united in one hotel company.

Marriott International closed Friday on its $13 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, uniting its Marriott, Courtyard and Ritz Carlton brands with Starwood’s Sheraton, Westin, W and St. Regis properties.

In total, 30 hotel brands now fall under the Marriott umbrella to create the largest hotel chain in the world with more than 5,700 properties and 1.1 million rooms in more than 110 countries.

Marriott now eclipses Hilton Worldwide’s 773,000 rooms and the 766,000 that are part of the Intercontinental Hotels Group family, according to STR, a firm that tracks hotel data.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL Bill Marriott, chairman of Marriott, and company chief Arne Sorenson celebrate with their executive team and associates Friday in New York’s Times Square.