Will Starwood be the first U.S. Company to open a property in Cuba?
Dec 20, 2014, 2:58 am
#1
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Will Starwood be the first U.S. Company to open a property in Cuba?
The company did not react very fast in Myanmar, although it is very well established in neighboring Thailand, China and India.
Dec 20, 2014, 6:08 am
#2
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We're all guessing, but no, Starwood will not be the first U.S.-based hotel company to open a property in Cuba. I'll go further and state that I expect Marriott to have opened four properties before Starwood opens its first.
Look at the global footprints and property counts of IHG/Marriott/Hilton compared to Starwood. It's three or four to one.
Look at the global footprints and property counts of IHG/Marriott/Hilton compared to Starwood. It's three or four to one.
Dec 20, 2014, 6:58 am
#3
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Historically, what American or other chain hotels were there in Cuba?
Dec 20, 2014, 8:36 am
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Well, Hotel Habana Libre, Havana's most symbolic hotel, was built as the Habana Hilton in 1958.
Dec 20, 2014, 12:29 pm
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Correct me if I'm wrong but it's a moot point until Congress lifts the embargo as it's still illegal to open a US hotel there.
Dec 20, 2014, 5:28 pm
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Dec 20, 2014, 7:22 pm
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The two American chains in Cuba before the revolution were Hilton (Habana Hilton/today's Hotel Habana Libre) and Intercontinental (as it was then known) (Hotel Nacional de Cuba). There weren't really any other big international hotel chains at the time except Sheraton.
I remember reading that Sheraton was exploring opening a hotel there in 58/59. They opened the Puerto Rico-Sheraton (today's San Juan Marriott) soon after the Cuban revolution, and it looks a LOT like the pre-revolution Havana resorts, so I've always wondered if perhaps it was a building designed for Havana and then re-purposed for San Juan.
Right now very few international chains are there, due to the US embargo, which also extends to any foreign companies that do business in the US as I understand it.
-Accor has a property (Mercure Sevilla)
-Sol Melia runs the old Habana Hilton (Tryp Habana Libre), along with many other properties across Cuba
-NH Hotels recently took over the restored Hotel Capri
There are a few other Spanish chains (Iberostar, etc) which also have hotels on the island.
I remember reading that Sheraton was exploring opening a hotel there in 58/59. They opened the Puerto Rico-Sheraton (today's San Juan Marriott) soon after the Cuban revolution, and it looks a LOT like the pre-revolution Havana resorts, so I've always wondered if perhaps it was a building designed for Havana and then re-purposed for San Juan.
Right now very few international chains are there, due to the US embargo, which also extends to any foreign companies that do business in the US as I understand it.
-Accor has a property (Mercure Sevilla)
-Sol Melia runs the old Habana Hilton (Tryp Habana Libre), along with many other properties across Cuba
-NH Hotels recently took over the restored Hotel Capri
There are a few other Spanish chains (Iberostar, etc) which also have hotels on the island.
Last edited by James Luckard; Dec 20, 2014 at 11:00 pm