# Raul Leal

> Raul Leal is the Miami-based CEO of Starwood Hotels, overseeing 1 Hotels, Baccarat Hotels and Treehouse Hotels. A career hotel operator and former founding CEO of Virgin Hotels, he joined SH Hotels & Resorts in August 2021 and leads its operations and international growth following its 2025 renaming as Starwood Hotels.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer at Starwood Hotels
- **Organizations:** Starwood Hotels (formerly SH Hotels & Resorts), Virgin Hotels, Tecton Hospitality, Desires Hotels, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Cornell University innovation and entrepreneurship boards (past service)
- **Known for:** Served as founding CEO of Virgin Hotels and led the launch of five properties, with another 10 in development at his departure., Led Virgin Hotels when its Chicago property received Condé Nast Traveler’s 2016 readers’ award for the top hotel in the United States., Leads Starwood Hotels’ three-brand portfolio, described on its current leadership page as more than 40 hotels open and in development.

## Career timeline

- **Teenage years** — Worked at Miami’s Everglades Hotel, where his father was a restaurant manager, and decided to pursue hotel management.
- **1989 (approximately)** — Worked with general manager Mary Ellen St. John on the Sheraton Royal Biscayne renovation, learning about interior design.
- **Before 2010** — Served as president and partner at Tecton Hospitality and helped build its boutique operation, Desires Hotels.
- **2010** — Joined Virgin Hotels as president; became CEO in 2012.
- **2015** — Virgin Hotels opened its first property in Chicago.
- **2021-01** — Virgin Hotels announced his departure after a decade building the brand.
- **2021-08-19** — Began as CEO of SH Hotels & Resorts.
- **2025-03** — SH Hotels & Resorts reintroduced the Starwood Hotels name.
- **2026-09** — Starwood’s 1 Hotels brand opened its first Texas property in Austin.

## Achievements

- Served as founding CEO of Virgin Hotels and led the launch of five properties, with another 10 in development at his departure.
- Led Virgin Hotels when its Chicago property received Condé Nast Traveler’s 2016 readers’ award for the top hotel in the United States.
- Leads Starwood Hotels’ three-brand portfolio, described on its current leadership page as more than 40 hotels open and in development.
- Selected for Global Hospitality Talk’s Outstanding Contribution Award, announced for its January 2025 Los Angeles event.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — 1 Hotel Austin opened with 252 rooms in the Waterline tower, marking the brand’s first Texas property.
- **2026-07** — In a Two Keys interview, discussed maintaining distinct brand identities, Mission Membership and using AI to support staff and personal service.
- **2026-03** — 1 Hotel Tokyo opened, as confirmed in his July 2026 interview.
- **2026-02** — Discussed five 2025 openings and the 2026 development pipeline with Travel Weekly.

## Links

- Website: https://www.starwoodhotels.com/our-company/team
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raulleal58

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/raul-leal
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21