HotelChatter

Additionally, over at the WSJ we learned that the type of retribution Starwood is seeking goes way beyond some money:

It has asked the court to appoint a monitor to oversee Hilton's future conduct. Further, it says it wants to impose a "penalty box" on Hilton that would prohibit it from developing its own luxury brand for a period of time, according to the complaint.

More sordid details can be found in the WSJ article which also reports that Amar Lalvani may have worked as a spy for Hilton while still at Starwood before ultimately being hired by Hilton himself, along with Ross Klein. Also, the new filings say that Hilton "scrubbed" Starwood documents of the Starwood brand mentions and sent them out to Hilton managers as their own documents.

This new allegation of "Hiltonizing" Starwood documents is presumably how the other Hilton brands are "infected" with stolen knowledge. And the investigation by the U.S. Attorney's office for Manhattan continues.

Man, we knew that the hotel world was competitive but we didn't know that Hilton was that desperate. On the bright side, no one will ever be forced to spend a night in a Denizen Hotel. Thank God! We never understood what that was all about.

Update: Statement from Kenneth Siegel, Starwood’s Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel:

“Since filing the initial complaint, Starwood has learned that Hilton’s misconduct was far more pervasive in terms of the staggering volume and commercial sensitivity of the information stolen, the widespread participation and personal involvement of Hilton’s senior management, and the dissemination and use of Starwood confidential information across all of Hilton’s luxury and lifestyle brands. This case is about restoring a level playing field for fair competition, not just substantial monetary damages. We will do whatever it takes to protect our brands and intellectual property for the benefit of our investors, associates, owners and customers.”