Last Updated on July 2, 2026 by Daniel Globe
Sheraton is owned by Marriott International, which bought Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 2016 for about $13 billion and folded Sheraton into its more than 9,300-property global portfolio spanning 144 countries. The brand traces back to 1933, when Ernest Henderson and Robert Moore bought their first hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts, then formally organized the company in 1937 and grew it through acquisitions, a 1947 NYSE listing, and international expansion. Starwood later modernized the brand, and Marriott has continued revitalizing it, with more detail just ahead.
Quick Answer
Sheraton is owned by Marriott International, which acquired the brand in 2016 as part of its roughly $13 billion purchase of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Sheraton now operates as one of Marriott’s Classic Premium brands, with more than 430 hotels in 70-plus countries worldwide.
Who Owns Sheraton Today?
Sheraton is owned by Marriott International today, following Marriott’s 2016 acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts in a deal valued at roughly $13 billion.
Sheraton ownership fits into a broader Marriott strategy: consolidating brands to expand scale, negotiate more efficiently, and widen access across markets.
As a result, Sheraton operates inside a network that, together with Marriott’s other brands, totals more than 9,300 properties in 144 countries, giving guests broader geographic reach and stronger brand recognition.
That scale matters if you value mobility and choice, because it increases the hotel chain‘s visibility without requiring guests to navigate fragmented ownership structures.
Marriott’s position as the world’s largest hotel company by available rooms also amplifies Sheraton’s market presence.
In practical terms, Sheraton is a brand supported by centralized distribution, loyalty infrastructure through the Marriott Bonvoy program, and global standards.
Individual Sheraton properties are typically owned by independent real estate investors and operators who license the Sheraton name and standards from Marriott under franchise or management agreements — Marriott itself owns very few hotels outright.
Sheraton’s Founding History
Sheraton’s roots go back to 1933, when Harvard classmates Ernest Henderson and Robert Moore purchased their first property, the Continental Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1937, the pair formally organized their growing hotel interests into the Standard Equities Corporation and purchased a second property, the Stonehaven Hotel in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Note: The “Sheraton” name itself didn’t arrive until 1939, when Henderson and Moore bought a Boston hotel with a large, expensive-to-remove lighted rooftop sign reading “Hotel Sheraton.” Rather than replace it, they renamed all their properties Sheraton — a name likely inspired by 18th-century furniture designer Thomas Sheraton.
You can read this as a clear founding vision: buy undervalued properties, improve their performance, and open access to better lodging without relying on elite exclusivity.
The strategy centered on hotel acquisitions and extended through a run of underperforming assets that could deliver measurable returns after operational upgrades — including the 1941 purchase of Boston’s Copley Plaza Hotel and steady expansion along the East Coast from Maine to Florida.
The strategy centered on hotel acquisitions, improving underperforming assets to generate measurable returns through operational upgrades.
That approach mattered because it let the company scale through control of existing inventory rather than slow, ground-up development.
By focusing on acquisition and management efficiency, Sheraton built a more expansive network that stretched across the eastern United States and, by 1949, into Canada.
The model was practical, expansion-oriented, and disciplined, laying the groundwork for the brand’s early national reach.
How Sheraton Went Public
In 1946, Standard Equities Corporation merged with the United States Realty and Improvement Corporation to form the Sheraton Corporation of America. The following year, in 1947, that company became the first hotel chain listed on the New York Stock Exchange — a clear NYSE listing milestone.
That public debut followed a run of acquisitions and turnaround results that showed the business could generate stronger returns from underperforming hotels.
The offering gave Sheraton capital for market expansion, while also supporting new management practices and technology investments.
NYSE Listing Milestone
By 1947, Sheraton Corporation of America achieved a major capital-markets milestone as the first hotel chain listed on the New York Stock Exchange, a move that broadened shareholder participation and strengthened its access to growth capital.
The NYSE listing shifted Sheraton from private control to a public structure, offering a clearer model of distributed ownership. That change increased investor interest because the company’s stock now offered verified market exposure and a credible path to expansion.
Sheraton used public financing to support strategic growth, and the listing reinforced its reputation as a disciplined operator in a consolidating hotel market.
It also set a precedent for future hotel chains: access to public capital can accelerate scale, mobility, and competitive freedom.
1947 Public Debut
Sheraton’s 1947 public debut marked a decisive shift from private expansion to market-financed growth, as the company became the first hotel chain listed on the New York Stock Exchange. This move was a strategic response to postwar demand for capital and autonomy.
| Metric | Effect | Signal |
|---|---|---|
| NYSE listing | Broadened access to equity | Higher investor confidence |
| Public shares | Funded acquisitions | Stronger growth capacity |
| Market visibility | Raised public perception | Industry precedent |
The listing let Sheraton trade stock for capital, improving flexibility without relying on closed ownership. That structure aligned with a liberation-minded aim: widen participation, reduce constraints, and let markets validate performance. The result wasn’t just funding; it reshaped expectations across hospitality.
Market Expansion Benefits
The 1947 NYSE listing did more than raise Sheraton’s profile; it gave the company a direct channel to capital that powered expansion.
The effect shows up in Sheraton’s market penetration strategies: the listing drew investors, financed acquisitions of underperforming hotels, and widened its footprint faster than private funding could.
Public status also strengthened global brand recognition, since visibility on the exchange signaled scale, stability, and reach.
That capital didn’t sit idle. It helped Sheraton launch Reservatron — the industry’s first automatic hotel reservation system — in 1958, cutting reservation friction, and later enter the Middle East and South America in the 1960s.
Sheraton’s International Expansion
Sheraton’s early global growth dates to the 1960s, when it opened in Tel Aviv in 1961 and Caracas in 1963, entering the Middle East and Latin America.
In 1985, it became the first international hotel chain to operate in mainland China, taking on management of the Great Wall Sheraton in Beijing and strengthening its Asia strategy.
After Marriott’s 2016 merger, Sheraton kept expanding across major markets, including continued growth of its China footprint and its Asia-Pacific presence.
Early Global Markets
As Sheraton expanded beyond the U.S., it used a deliberate market-entry strategy to secure footholds in major international cities. Its early moves came in Tel Aviv in 1961 and Caracas in 1963, both chosen to grow a global footprint beyond domestic limits.
In 1985, Sheraton became the first international hotel chain to operate in mainland China, proving it could enter regulated markets and hold prime urban locations.
From 2002 to 2015, the brand accelerated in Asia-Pacific, and in 2023 it marked its 100th regional hotel with the opening of Sheraton Shantou. That pattern reflects a system built on city-level presence, not mass saturation.
Middle East And Asia
Sheraton’s expansion into the Middle East and Asia followed a clear hub-city strategy, beginning with Tel Aviv in 1961 and extending to mainland China in 1985, when it became the first international hotel chain to operate there.
| City | Year | Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Tel Aviv | 1961 | Entry point |
| Mainland China | 1985 | First mover |
| Shantou | 2023 | 100th Asia-Pacific hotel |
Growth accelerated from 2002 to 2015, and Sheraton now holds major positions in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The pattern is clear: the brand chased scale through strategic urban nodes, not random spread.
Marriott Era Growth
Under Marriott International after 2016, Sheraton kept pushing its international footprint while sharpening its brand model for global travelers. Sheraton had already entered China in 1985 and built major Asia-Pacific momentum by 2013, and it has continued scaling in major cities using Marriott’s network and the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program.
- A legacy of firsts: Tel Aviv in 1961 and Caracas in 1963.
- Sustained Asia-Pacific momentum through steady room-count expansion.
- Design innovation: shared, communal lobby spaces now drive the guest experience.
- A clearer metric: Marriott ownership didn’t slow growth; it standardized it.
That mix makes it possible to compare markets, measure reach, and judge whether Sheraton’s modern positioning still competes globally.
ITT Sheraton and the Franchising Shift
When ITT Corporation acquired Sheraton in 1968, it redirected the brand away from owning hotels and toward franchising and management contracts. ITT Sheraton used market research to target demand, expand faster, and reduce capital tied up in properties.
Under this model, the brand gained broader reach through independent operators while ITT kept control of standards and fees. By the mid-1970s, Sheraton had become a franchise leader, and gross sales topped $1 billion in 1976 even though the company owned only a small share of its hotels.
In 1970, Sheraton Towers aimed at business travelers and signaled a sharper service focus. By 1985, Sheraton owned just 14 of 482 hotels, showing how fully the company had shifted from asset ownership to a lighter, market-driven structure. In 1995, ITT Sheraton also introduced the mid-range Four Points by Sheraton brand.
Starwood’s Rebrand of Sheraton
After ITT’s franchise-heavy era, Starwood Hotels & Resorts acquired Sheraton in 1998 for approximately $13.3 billion and repositioned it as a global upscale brand with a stronger emphasis on design, technology, and guest experience.
Starwood’s rebranding strategy was clear: upgrade properties, refine service standards, and make Sheraton feel more contemporary and accessible for business and leisure travelers.
- Renovations modernized rooms and public areas.
- The Sheraton Grand tier, introduced in 2015, marked select premium hotels.
- New lobby concepts encouraged shared spaces.
- Better amenities and tech improved guest experience.
This shift wasn’t cosmetic. It used data-backed positioning to strengthen brand consistency while preserving scale.
The result is a hotel identity that feels less corporate, more open, and easier to navigate. In the 2000s, Sheraton leaned into design-led modernization and community-focused spaces, giving guests more flexibility and control over how they use the brand’s environment.
How Marriott Took Over Sheraton
In 2016, Marriott International completed its acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts after a bidding war with a China-based Anbang Insurance-led consortium, bringing Sheraton into a larger portfolio. The final deal, closed in September 2016, was valued at roughly $13 billion (with the amended agreement earlier priced near $13.6 billion), combining Marriott’s roughly 5,700 properties with Starwood’s Sheraton, Westin, W, and St. Regis brands to create the world’s largest hotel company at the time, with more than 5,700 combined properties in over 110 countries. Marriott strategy relied on scale: more distribution, broader loyalty reach, and stronger purchasing power. The deal followed Starwood’s own 1998 purchase of Sheraton (then ITT Sheraton) for about $13.3 billion, so ownership of the Sheraton brand changed twice in under two decades.
| Factor | Impact |
|---|---|
| Portfolio scale | Expanded Marriott’s global presence |
| Brand access | Linked Sheraton to shared systems |
| Competitive position | Helped Marriott become the largest hotel company |
The result is structural consolidation, not reinvention. Sheraton stayed a core brand, now backed by shared resources, wider reach, and a platform aimed at restoring value for travelers seeking choice and mobility.
How Marriott Is Refreshing Sheraton
Marriott has been revitalizing Sheraton by pairing brand upgrades with targeted growth. The strategy centers on brand modernization aimed at sharpening identity and improving customer experience without losing scale.
Marriott folded Sheraton into its growing multi-brand portfolio in 2016, then pushed repositioning through the Sheraton Grand tier introduced in 2015, signaling higher standards for premium properties. A 2019 logo refresh added a cleaner, more contemporary look aimed at younger travelers, and the brand’s broader “transformation” — redesigned lobbies, communal work tables, and upgraded guest rooms — has continued rolling out property by property since 2018, including a 2025 “Goodnight Room” advertising campaign built around the children’s book Goodnight Moon.
Marriott’s 2019 Sheraton refresh signaled a cleaner, more contemporary brand built for younger travelers.
- Updated visual identity for clearer market differentiation
- Wellness amenities and open shared spaces that support choice
- Customer-oriented policies that reduce friction and boost flexibility
- Continued Asia expansion, including deeper penetration in China
The data points show Marriott isn’t just preserving Sheraton; it’s recasting the brand as a more competitive, globally scalable option within its Classic Premium tier.
Sheraton’s Brand and Hotels Today
Today, Sheraton operates as a Marriott International brand, following Marriott’s 2016 acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and it spans more than 430 hotels and resorts across 70-plus countries and territories — making it the most globally distributed brand in Marriott’s portfolio.
In 2023, Sheraton marked a regional milestone with its 100th Asia-Pacific hotel, Sheraton Shantou, signaling continued growth where demand is rising. The brand’s modernization centers on design innovation, especially open shared spaces that support a more flexible guest experience.
Guests earn and redeem points at Sheraton properties through Marriott Bonvoy, the loyalty program that spans Marriott’s 30-plus brands. That combination keeps Sheraton competitive in a crowded market while reinforcing its position as a practical, internationally accessible choice for travelers who value comfort, efficiency, and autonomy.
Key Takeaways
- Marriott International has owned Sheraton since completing its roughly $13 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts in September 2016.
- Sheraton’s history traces to 1933–1937 in Massachusetts, followed by a 1947 NYSE listing as the first publicly traded hotel chain.
- Ownership of the Sheraton brand shifted twice before Marriott: ITT Corporation in 1968, then Starwood Hotels in 1998.
- Sheraton now operates as a franchise/management brand with more than 430 hotels in 70-plus countries.
- Individual Sheraton hotels are typically owned by independent investors who license the Sheraton name from Marriott.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Mormons still own Marriott?
No. Marriott International’s Mormon heritage remains part of its founding culture, but the company is publicly traded, so no religious group controls its ownership today. The Marriott family, which is Mormon, retains a meaningful minority stake and board influence, but institutional investors hold the majority of shares.
Who is the largest shareholder of Marriott?
The Marriott founding family collectively holds a significant minority stake — recent SEC filings put their combined holdings in the 13% to 18% range across J.W. Marriott Jr., other family members, trusts, and family entities. Among individual holders, J.W. Marriott Jr. is typically the largest at roughly 12%. Among institutional investors, Vanguard is generally the largest single shareholder at around 7–8%, with BlackRock also among the top holders.
Who started the Sheraton hotel chain?
Ernest Henderson and Robert Moore, Harvard classmates, started what became Sheraton in 1933 with the purchase of the Continental Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They formally organized the business in 1937 and expanded by buying and upgrading underperforming properties, adopting the Sheraton name in 1939 after acquiring a Boston hotel with an expensive-to-remove “Hotel Sheraton” rooftop sign.
Conclusion
So, who owns Sheraton now? You do not own Sheraton, but Marriott International does, after its 2016 acquisition of Starwood Hotels for roughly $13 billion. From its 1933–1937 start to global growth, Sheraton shifted from independent operator to franchised flag to Marriott-backed brand. Today, Sheraton remains a major premium name in Marriott’s portfolio, with steady scale, strategic reach, and continued worldwide relevance. Its story is one of smart ownership shifts, strong staying power, and steady brand evolution.
Sources
- Sheraton Hotels and Resorts — Wikipedia — founding history, hotel/room counts, brand milestones
- Marriott International — Wikipedia — current property count, countries, and corporate history
- Marriott–Starwood Amended Merger Agreement — SEC EDGAR — official deal valuation and terms
- Starwood Acquisition & Historical Information — Marriott Investor Relations — merger documentation
- Sheraton Hotel & Resorts: The Complete Guide — NerdWallet — current hotel count and brand overview