Marriott International’s planned acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts is hanging in the balance after a late bid by a Chinese consortium was accepted.
US-based Starwood confirmed on Friday (18 March 2016) that it has received an offer worth US$78 per share from a consortium led by the Anbang Insurance Group. This is even higher than the offer of US$76 per share previously placed by Anbang on 10 March, and significantly higher than Marriott’s cash-and-stock bid that was accepted in November 2015 and is now worth just over US$69 per share.
In real terms, the Chinese bid is worth approximately US$13.2 billion – US$1bn more than Marriott’s. In a statement, Starwood said that its board of directors has decided that the new bid is a “superior proposal”.
Meanwhile Bloomberg cited an unnamed source, said to be familiar with the matter, as saying that Anbang plans to retain Starwood’s management and staff, as well as its SPG loyalty programme.
But Starwood will not simply be able to cancel the merger with Marriott. Under the terms of agreement, Marriott has the right to make an improved bid for Starwood by 28 March 2016, although it is unclear whether Marriott is willing to do so. If Marriott does not make another bid and Starwood continues with its Chinese takeover, Starwood will have to pay Marriott a termination fee of US$400 million in cash.
“Starwood has… informed Marriott that it intends to terminate the merger agreement with Marriott unless Marriott and Starwood agree on revisions to their merger agreement that Starwood’s board of directors determines to be superior to the Anbang proposal,” Marriott said in a statement,
Bloomberg also reported John Paulson, the billionaire president of Paulson & Co, Starwood’s largest shareholder, as saying that he is happy with the increased offer, which he claims better reflects the company’s value.
“Anbang is a proven, sophisticated buyer of related assets and we welcome their interest in Starwood,” Paulson said in an emailed statement.
Marriott’s takeover of Starwood would have led to the creation of the world’s largest hotel group. An agreement with Anbang however, could be major step forward in the creation of a new global hotel giant. Anbang has also recently acquired New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel for US$1.95bn and US-based luxury hotel owner Strategic Hotels & Resorts for US$6.5bn.
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