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Starwood Founder Bringing Sexy Hotels Back

After making a mint at Starwood Hotels--including creating the W brand--Barry Sternlicht could've happily rode off into the hotel developer sunset, free from the prying eyes of people like us. But somehow, he decided to get back into the hotel game: He's got three hotel brands in the works.

The biggest deal in our mind is the "1" brand, scheduled to debut in Seattle in 2009. The aim is to make the hotel LEED certified as a green building, as is the plan with other "1" hotels in the future. Other properties are in the works for New York and DC.

The NYC project, the New York Times reports:

[Will] be called the "1" Hotel and Residences at Bryant Park, it will have dedicated hotel rooms through the 18th floor and residential units on the 19th through 31st floors. It is expected to open in the first half of 2010, and is being designed by Morris Adjmi.

But the brand won't focus on residential/hotel hybrids:

Mr. Sternlicht's third "1" hotel, in Washington at 22nd and M Streets, N.W., is in partnership with the local Perseus Realty Group. The hotel, which will have 180 rooms and no residential component, is expected to break ground in mid-2008 and open in 2010. More will follow in Scottsdale, Ariz.; Mammoth Lakes, Calif; and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The first international "1" hotel will be in Paris.

Beyond all the hype around this brand, we'll also have to keep an eye on Sternlicht's other hotels: He's also at work on Baccarat Hotels and Resorts and Crillon, both of which could open soon.

Related Stories:
· Starwood Founder Makes a New Splash [NYT]
· 1 Hotels coverage [HotelChatter]

[Photo: Sienna Architecture Company]