The European
Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, has approved the merger between Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts. The commission
found that the "hotel sector will
remain competitive for customers in Europe following the merger." Marriott
CEO Arne Sorenson said earlier this month that the company was optimistic the
approval would go through, as Marriott doesn't have significant market share in
that region. The same can be said for China, which is the only large global
player yet to approve the merger, according to Sorenson. He previously said the
company expects the deal to go through by mid-year.