The St. Regis brand really didn't begin until 1999 when the Carlton Hotel in Washington, DC, became only the second St. Regis hotel in the Starwood portfolio.

In 18 years, St. Regis has gone from the original flagship property in New York to 44 current properties around the world...with another 17 confirmed properties awaiting completion and at least another 20+ supposedly in the pipeline. I do believe that would be among the most growth in the luxury hotel segment of any luxury brand.

The St. Regis brand already provide timeless, often modern luxury. There are some properties needing refurbishment, certainly, but the brand standard is quite good. Whether or not it includes elements for millennial desires is in the eye of the beholder, of course, but I'd say St. Regis is quite competitve with most Four Seasons and Peninsula hotels...and is one of the few luxury brands that can match Peninsula in its use of technology and modern conveniences. The luxury segment will consider millennial desires in a different light than other hotel segments, as only a certain segment of millenials are likely to frequent luxury hotels.

As for your list of cities, many are not cities that should be or will be priorities. St. Regis will be most appropriate in legendary resort locations and in leading financial center cities where higher end business travel demand can be met. Those are not always in the USA. In fact, only Los Angeles, Chicago, and maybe Boston would be global priorities. The true priorities will be global financial centers like London (rumors for the former US Embassy to become a St. Regis), Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, etc. I'm sure other high end resort destinations will be considered, too. The most recent addition of the Maldives showcases that.

St. Regis expansion also depends on places where hotel/building construction and development is significant, or where current hotel or building ownership wants to move in a different management direction. St. Regis doesn't build hotels, after all. St. Regis merely provides high end luxury management for high end luxury hotels. Were a luxury hotel developer in the right location in Dallas approaches St. Regis, I'm sure St. Regis will be open to managing an appropriate hotel. Until then, however, St. Regis isn't likely there unless another hotel owner wants to change brands once its management contract ends.

The Marriott merger also means that Ritz Carlton and St. Regis can be developed to complement each other. St. Regis occupies a market niche that actually competes even with Ritz Carlton Reserve.

Sorry...but Naples, Portland, Key West, Austin, Detroit, Portland are hardly priorities for a global brand like St. Regis. There's never going to be a St. Regis in Key West...or most likely in Detroit or Portland, either.