Photo credit: SH Hotels & Resorts
Investment firm Starwood Capital Group has promoted Arash Azarbarzin, the president of its subsidiary company SH Hotels & Resorts, to the division’s CEO effective immediately.
Azarbarzin succeeds Starwood Capital Chairman and CEO Barry Sternlicht as CEO of SH Hotels & Resorts. Sternlicht will remain chairman and continue to be involved with the organization.
Azarbarzin has more than 30 years of industry experience, including leadership roles at St. Regis Hotels, W Hotels, Four Seasons Hotels and as founding member at SBE hotel group, among others. As president of SH Hotels & Resorts, he fueled the growth and performance of the SH portfolio, including 1 Hotels, Baccarat Hotels, and Treehouse Hotels brands. He holds a degree in hotel and restaurant management from United States International University and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. In 2020, Azarbarzin joined the board of directors of the American Hotel & Lodging Association and AMAALA Development Advisory Board.
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“I am delighted to promote Arash to the role of CEO of SH Hotels & Resorts to help lead the growth of the company and its brands across the world,” Sternlicht said. “Over the last year, the industry has experienced tremendous upheaval and Arash has shown steady leadership and helped position us for a bright future. I am confident that under his leadership, we will continue to see significant increases in guest satisfaction, build excellence in SH Hotels & Resorts, as well as true advocacy for our overall mission of sustainability in everything we do.”
In Azarbarzin’s three years as president of SH Hotels & Resorts, he spearheaded the openings of 1 Hotel West Hollywood in California, 1 Hotel Haitang Bay in China and launched the Treehouse Hotels brand. Azarbarzin made headway in reducing overall climate impact for the entire organization, including the establishment of real-time energy monitoring, decrease in resource use and certification as a carbon neutral organization.