Marriott International’s acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts moved one step closer to completion this week, when the European Union offered its “unconditional clearance” for the merger.
The deal, which is worth approximately US$13.6 billion in cash and stock, was agreed in April 2016. In a press statement, the European Commissioner for Competition, Margaret Vestager, expressed her approval of the acquisition.
“This is an important merger for the hotel industry and its customers. Our investigation confirmed that the hotel sector will remain competitive for customers in Europe following the merger, so I am pleased that the Commission was able to clear the transaction quickly,” Ms Vestager said.
The closing of the proposed merger is still subject to anti-trust clearance from other authorities, including China, but Marriott said the EU clearance represents a “major closing condition to the proposed merger”. The deal is expected to close in July 2016.
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