My late grandfather attended the University of Richmond. Whenever he would visit Richmond, he’d bring back cupcakes from Sally Bell’s Kitchen. I still remember the cupcakes 40 years later – and that they received a big payday for their original name back in 1959, which was Sara Lee. They’re 100 years old this year. The original Sara Lee had the name first, and the national brand wanted exclusivity.

There’s a hotel using the St. Regis name in Detroit with no affiliation to the Marriott brand, and it apparently has received no such payday.

The Hotel Saint Regis in Detroit, established in 1966, operates independently and is not affiliated with the St. Regis Hotels & Resorts brand, which was launched by Starwood in 1998 and is now under Marriott International.

Hotel Saint Regis Detroit, credit: Detroit Historical Society

The St. Regis brand traces its origins to 1904, when John Jacob Astor IV opened The St. Regis New York at Fifth Avenue and 55th Street. Astor, a prominent financier and inventor, envisioned a hotel that combined advanced technology with opulent luxury. Notably, each room featured its own telephone—a rarity at the time—demonstrating Astor’s commitment to innovation.

The hotel’s name, “St. Regis,” was inspired by a lake in the Adirondacks, where Astor’s niece suggested the name during a family visit. The lake itself was named after a 17th-century French monk, Francis Regis, who was canonized in the 18th century and known for his hospitality to travelers. Astor found this association fitting for his new hotel, symbolizing a commitment to exceptional service.

Over the decades, The St. Regis New York became synonymous with luxury and impeccable service, hosting numerous luminaries and introducing signature offerings such as the Bloody Mary cocktail, created in 1934 by bartender Fernand Petiot at the hotel’s King Cole Bar.

In 1997, Starwood Hotels & Resorts acquired ITT Sheraton, which included The St. Regis New York, a historic luxury hotel established in 1904 by John Jacob Astor IV. At that time, The St. Regis New York was the sole property operating under the St. Regis name. Following the acquisition, in 1998 Starwood launched the St. Regis Hotels & Resorts brand in 1998, expanding it into a global luxury hotel chain.

St. Regis, Abu Dhabi

The St. Regis New York, established in 1904, and the Hotel Saint Regis Detroit, opened in 1966, have no corporate affiliation. The lack of conflict between their names can be attributed to several factors:

• Geographic Separation: The hotels operated in different cities—New York and Detroit—reducing the likelihood of consumer confusion.

• Distinct Market Presence: At the time of the Detroit hotel’s opening, the St. Regis brand had not expanded beyond New York, minimizing brand overlap.

Trademark rights are often geographically limited. The Detroit hotel’s use of “Saint Regis” likely did not infringe upon the New York hotel’s trademark, since the latter’s protection was confined to its immediate market. And the Detroit property’s use of name predated Starwood’s expansion of the brand.

St. Regis Bangkok

There are plenty of hotels around the world using brand names without permission. Usually what happens is that they were once affiliated, but for reasons of war and international relations no longer do but continue to use the name and there’s little the chain can do about it. That includes the Intercontinental in Kabul, and and for many years the Sheraton in Basra (now the Basra Interntional Hotel) and the Ishtar Sheraton Baghdad (later the Ishtar).

The Sheraton Basra in Iraq was built in 1981. The Western chain severed ties in 1991 with the coming of the Gulf War. Nonetheless, it continued to use the Sheraton name for nearly 20 years. It was renovated and now operates as the Basra International Hotel. Similarly, the Sheraton Baghdad opened in 1992 and lost its Sheraton management contract with the 1991 Gulf War. It used the Sheraton name for the following 22 years. Beginning with the 2003 Iraq invasion it was hit with occasional rocket fire. It was bombed in 2005, and the site of a car bomb in 2010. It was renovated and rebranded as the Cristal Grand Ishtar Hotel in 2013.

Notably, ISIS operated the Ninawa International Hotel in Mosul (here’s a promotional video). Jihadists need a place to come for training, and to mark occasions with professionally-managed events. The terrorist proto-state advanced in part by providing basic services in communities, and sought to be professionally-run, even suspending non-essential business travel at the start of the pandemic (Jihad was required to take place remotely).

It’s one thing when a violent regime continues to use a Western brand, but about a year ago when the Hyatt Place Tulsa was kicked out of the brand they renamed themselves the Hyad. While not good enough for Hyatt, it appears to now be Hilton-affiliated as the Tulsa South Medical Hotel & Suites.