Westin Hotels & Resorts
Severt W. Thurston and Frank Dupar met unexpectedly during breakfast at the coffee shop of the Commercial Hotel in Yakima, Washington, in 1930. The Great Depression had crippled their competing hotel businesses, so they decided to form a management company to handle all their properties together. They invited Peter and Adolph Schmidt, who operated five hotels in the Puget Sound area, to join them. Together these four men established Western Hotels with just 17 properties. Sixteen of those properties sat in Washington state while one property stood in Boise, Idaho. The chain expanded quickly to Vancouver, British Columbia, and Portland, Oregon by 1931. By 1941 Western assumed management of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed. Edward Carlson convinced Victor Trader Vic Bergeron to open his first franchised location inside the Benjamin Franklin Hotel in Seattle in 1949. Originally named The Outrigger, that small bar became a full restaurant called Trader Vic's by 1960.
The company changed its name to Western International Hotels in January 1963 to reflect growth outside the United States. From the 1st of November 1965, until 1970, all 72 hotels from Western International and Hotel Corporation of America were jointly marketed under two names. In 1970 UAL Corporation acquired Western International, making Edward Carlson president and CEO of both entities. Western International bought New York's iconic Plaza Hotel in 1975 for $25 million. On the 5th of January 1981, the company changed its name again to Westin Hotels as a contraction of Western International. That same year the Washington Plaza Hotel in Seattle became The Westin Hotel on the 1st of September 1981. UAL chairman Richard Ferris announced plans to reorganize UAL as Allegis Corporation in 1987 but the strategy failed. Aoki Corporation purchased Westin from Allegis in 1988 for $1.35 billion. Starwood Capital Group and Goldman Sachs bought Westin from Aoki in May 1995 for $537 million after negotiating down from an initial offer of $561 million. Marriott International acquired Starwood in 2016.
Westin was the first hotel chain to introduce guest credit cards in 1946. The company added 24-hour room service starting in 1969. Personal voice mail appeared in each room by 1991. In 1999 Westin began selling Heavenly Bed mattresses manufactured by Simmons Bedding Company to the general public. Nordstrom carried these mattresses and bedding in its stores beginning in 2005. Pottery Barn started selling the Heavenly mattresses and bedding at their locations in 2011. These innovations transformed how guests experienced luxury accommodations during the late twentieth century. The company focused on creating unique features that distinguished it from competitors throughout North America and beyond.
By 2016 Westin operated 217 properties containing 81,249 rooms across multiple continents. North America held 125 properties with 51,705 rooms while Europe contained 19 properties housing 6,241 rooms. Asia and the Pacific region managed 51 properties totaling 16,299 rooms. The Middle East and Africa combined had nine properties with 2,934 rooms. Caribbean Latin American operations included 13 properties and 4,070 rooms. By 2023 the portfolio grew to 243 properties with 88,157 rooms total. North America maintained 134 properties holding 54,820 rooms. European properties increased slightly to 17 buildings with 5,787 rooms. Asian and Pacific regions expanded significantly to 69 properties containing 21,173 rooms. The pipeline added another 58 hotels with 15,741 rooms in development as of recent reports.
The Olympic Hotel in Seattle became the chain's new flagship when Western Hotels assumed management in 1955. Executive offices moved from the New Washington Hotel to a newly-decorated suite on the 12th floor of the Olympic building. The Bayshore Inn in Vancouver opened in March 1961 as the first hotel constructed and owned entirely by the chain. Edward Carlson's napkin sketch inspired the Space Needle tower with its revolving restaurant atop it. The chain managed that restaurant until 1982 during the Century 21 Exposition held in Seattle. A floating hotel aboard an ocean liner docked in Seattle harbor operated during the fair. The Westin Dhaka stands among notable international locations while the Westin Zagreb serves Croatia. The Westin Excelsior in Rome features the Villa La Cupola Suite listed at number eight on CNN Go's World's 15 most expensive hotel suites compiled in 2012.
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Common questions
Who founded Westin Hotels & Resorts?
Severt W. Thurston and Frank Dupar established the company in 1930 after meeting at a coffee shop in Yakima, Washington. They invited Peter Schmidt and Adolph Schmidt to join them, creating Western Hotels with 17 properties.
When did Western International change its name to Westin Hotels?
The company changed its name to Westin Hotels on the 5th of January 1981 as a contraction of Western International. The Washington Plaza Hotel in Seattle became The Westin Hotel on the 1st of September 1981 that same year.
How many rooms does Westin Hotels & Resorts operate globally by 2023?
By 2023 the portfolio grew to 243 properties with 88,157 rooms total. North America maintained 134 properties holding 54,820 rooms while Asian and Pacific regions expanded significantly to 69 properties containing 21,173 rooms.
What innovations did Westin introduce to hotel guest experiences?
Westin was the first hotel chain to introduce guest credit cards in 1946. The company added 24-hour room service starting in 1969 and placed personal voice mail in each room by 1991.
Which hotels are notable international locations for Westin Hotels & Resorts?
Notable international locations include the Westin Dhaka, the Westin Zagreb which serves Croatia, and the Westin Excelsior in Rome. The Westin Excelsior features the Villa La Cupola Suite listed at number eight on CNN Go's World's 15 most expensive hotel suites compiled in 2012.