American Firm, Starwood, Signs Deal to Manage Hotels in Cuba
By VICTORIA BURNETT

MEXICO CITY — Starwood Hotels and Resorts is set become the first American hospitality chain to run hotels in Cuba in more than half a century, signaling the return of American companies to the Cuban travel market as the island gears up to receive a surge in visits from the United States.

Under two deals signed on the eve of a visit to Cuba by President Obama, Starwood will refurbish and manage the Hotel Inglaterra on the Parque Central near Old Havana and the Hotel Quinta Avenida, a 186-room business hotel in the upscale district of Miramar. The hotels should begin running under the Starwood brand this year, the company said.

Starwood, which has its corporate headquarters in Stamford, Conn., will be managing hotels owned by Cuban state enterprises — including a military conglomerate — creating the deepest ties so far between an American company and the Cuban government since President Obama announced a diplomatic thaw between the countries in December 2014.

Jorge Giannattasio, Starwood’s senior vice-president and the head of its Latin America operations, said that Saturday’s deals were “a pivotal moment.”

“We are in an inflection point in the relationship between the two countries and in the hospitality industry,” said Mr. Giannattasio, who spoke by phone from Havana. The deal, he added, would “create new expectations for the quality of Cuban hotels.”

Under the management agreement, the Hotel Inglaterra, which is owned by Gran Caribe, a Cuban state tourism company, will become one of Starwood’s Luxury Collection hotels. The Quinta Avenida, which is run by Gaviota, a Cuban military-run tourism group, will become a Four Points by Sheraton hotel.

Mr. Giannattasio said that the company received a license from United States Treasury Department last week that, in addition to the Inglaterra and Quinta Avenida hotels, allowed it to operate the Hotel Santa Isabel in Old Havana and one other, which he declined to name. Starwood has signed a letter of intent with Habaguanex, a Cuban state-run company that owns many properties in Old Havana, to manage the Santa Isabel, he said.

Saturday’s announcement could presage an influx of American hotel chains into Cuba, where many hotels are run under management contracts with European brands, including Sol Melia and Iberostar. Marriott International is also reported to be seeking a license from the Treasury Department to run hotels in Cuba.

The island has a shortage of high-quality hotel rooms, and Cuban officials and foreign tour operators have wondered how it will cope with a deluge of American travelers, who are expected to visit Cuba in growing numbers after the Treasury Department relaxed travel regulations last week.

The Obama administration said in February that it was preparing to sign an agreement with Cuban authorities that would allow commercial airlines to offer more than 100 daily flights to Cuba from the United States. There are currently only about 15 flights a day run by charter companies.

Last week, the administration said that Americans who wish to visit Cuba on “people-to-people” trips can now travel independently, rather than as part of organized tours that cost several thousand dollars.

Still, hotel accommodations in Cuba are often overbooked and very outdated. Travelers have complained of musty-smelling rooms with poor air-conditioning or no toilet paper and unappetizing food at state-run hotels. The Hotel Inglaterra, for example, has an elaborate neo-Classical facade and a storied history — Winston Churchill stayed there during the Spanish-American War — but modest bedrooms.

Under the deals signed on Saturday, the two hotels will be run by management crews from Starwood but will be primarily staffed by Cubans. Mr. Giannattasio said that Starwood would be paid a management fee to run the hotels, a similar arrangement to those the group has in other countries.

The hotel is interested in running more hotels in Havana or other cities of cultural interest, he said, adding that hotels in tourist resorts were off limits because restrictions still forbid American tourism under the embargo.

 “There are many opportunities for us and other American companies,” said Mr. Giannattasio. “This is just the beginning.”

50年來首次 美企業重返古巴

在美國總統歐巴馬廿日前往古巴進行歷史性訪問前夕，全球知名連鎖飯店業者喜達屋19日宣布與古巴簽約，將於當地經營三間飯店，這是美國自1960年代對古巴實施禁運封鎖以來，美國企業時隔50多年首次在古巴經營飯店。

紐約時報報導，根據雙方簽署的兩項協議，喜達屋將會翻新與經營位於哈瓦那老城附近中央公園的「Hotel Inglaterra」（英格蘭飯店，暫譯），以及位在高級地段米拉瑪區內86間客房的商務飯店「Quinta Avenida」（第五大道，暫譯）。喜達屋今年將先經營這兩家飯店。

喜達屋將經營的飯店皆由古巴國營企業所擁有，其中一間是軍工集團。這是歐巴馬總統2014年12月宣布與古巴外交關係解凍以來，美國企業與古巴政府之間建立的最深厚關係。

喜達屋資深副總裁暨拉美地區營運主管加納塔西歐形容這是個關鍵時刻，「我們正處於兩國關係與飯店產業的轉捩點」。

喜達屋執行長曼加斯也表示，整個美國飯店產業正「懷著極大興趣注視著古巴」，且對公司來說，成為「先驅」是很重要的。喜達屋並表示將進行數百萬美元的投資來整修飯店。喜達屋上周才獲得美國財政部核准在古巴經營飯店，過去美國長年對古巴經濟禁運，這類交易通常遭到禁止。

喜達屋近來動作頻頻，進軍古巴之際，該公司19日宣布同意接受中國大陸安邦保險集團以131億美元（約台幣4300億元）收購。喜達屋旗下擁有威斯汀、喜來登等飯店品牌。

原文參照：
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/20/world/americas/american-firm-starwood-signs-deal-to-manage-hotels-in-cuba.html

2016-03-21．聯合報．A13．兩岸/國際．編譯陳韋廷