Barry Sternlicht Warns Big Hotel Chains: Indie Brands Are Coming for You

Barry Sternlicht sees trouble brewing for big hotel chains. The Starwood founder warns that nimble upstarts will steal their market share one social media post at a time.

Barry Sternlicht, the founder of Starwood Hotels who sold the company to Marriott for $13 billion in 2015, warned that established hotel chains could face mounting pressure from nimble independent brands.

Speaking at the NYU International Hospitality Investment Forum on Tuesday, Sternlicht said he's been tracking the shifting dynamics in consumer products, and how social commerce may erode the marketing advantages once held by large players.

Upstart brands in cosmetics and fashion now have about a third of the share of the market, up from 10% in the recent past, said Sternlicht, who has been on the board of directors at Estee Lauder since 2004.

"The