Sheraton overhauls brand, hotels

Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers

By Joe Brancatelli

Starwood prides itself on trendy brands like Westin and W hotels, but it is also saddled with Sheraton, one of the least consistent of the old-line hotel names. Starwood says it is pumping $6 billion into an overhaul of Sheraton and has taken the Sheraton name off nearly three dozen hotels that no longer meet the new standards.

But then there’s the matter of the 655-room Sheraton Times Square. It will be “deflagged” in April, but Starwood owns the property. So the company says it will continue to operate the hotel after it stops being called a Sheraton and explore redevelopment options for the property, which occupies a full city block. The Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers, across the street from the Sheraton Manhattan, will get a $90 million upgrade.

Meanwhile, another substandard Sheraton hotel — the castle-like Sheraton Braintree in suburban Boston — closed its doors Jan. 31. Two days later, it was sold for $9.1 million and will reopen soon with a new name.