Shares of Marriott (MAR) International Inc. and Starwood (HOT) Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. climbed in U.S. trading after China’s richest man Wang Jianlin said he has hired two investment banks to buy hotel management companies.

Marriott gained 3.2 percent, the biggest increase in three weeks, and Starwood advanced 1.4 percent in trading on the New York Stock Exchange yesterday.

Wang’s Dalian Wanda Group wants to build hotels in as many as 10 major cities around the world including projects planned for London and New York, Wang said in an interview with Bloomberg News at the World Economic Forum in Dalian yesterday. He didn’t name the investment banks or targets, and said he had been in talks with “several” companies over the past year.

“It’s a slow process. Those companies we liked, they might not be willing to sell,” Wang said. “Those willing to be bought, we might sometimes feel the brand isn’t as good. For those open to a sale and at the right price, the negotiations can also sometimes be very tough.”

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