The Starwood sales process, which kicked off April 29 at the urging of some of the hotel chain's shareholders, involved 30 U.S. or foreign hotels or investment groups that reached out or were contacted, while Marriott International ultimately took home the grand prize in November for $12.2 billion.

Marriott International completed the acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on September 23, 2016, for a total value of approximately $13 billion. The deal was a combination of cash and stock, creating the largest hotel chain in the world at the time. Under the final terms of the agreement, Starwood shareholders received $21.00 in cash and 0.80 shares of Marriott International common stock for each share of Starwood common stock. This massive merger brought iconic Starwood brands like Westin, Sheraton, W Hotels, and St. Regis under the Marriott umbrella, significantly expanding Marriott's global footprint to over 5,700 properties and 1.1 million rooms across 30 brands. The acquisition was highly competitive, involving a bidding war with a consortium led by China's Anbang Insurance Group, which at one point offered $14 billion before eventually withdrawing. The integration of the two companies eventually led to the merger of their respective loyalty programs—Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG)—into the single, massive Marriott Bonvoy program that exists today.