China has extended its time frame for reviewing Marriott International Inc.'s proposed $14.6 billion purchase of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. by up to 60 days, the companies revealed on Monday.

China's Ministry of Commerce review is the last remaining hurdle to close the deal, which would create the biggest hotel group in the world with an enterprise value reaching up to $36 billion and 1.1 million hotel rooms, Reuters reported. Marriott has already received a green light from regulators in 40 countries including the United States, Canada, and the European Union.

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Both Marriott and Starwood refused to specify the reasons why the Chinese Ministry is requesting for an extension to review the deal. Marriott in a statement on Monday that it believes the "planned merger transaction poses no anti-competitive issues in China."

According to a July 28 call with Wall Street analysts, China was expected to finalize its antitrust reviews by Tuesday, Aug. 9, and the latest request is delaying Marriott's process by as much as two months.

"We've provided very, very significant amounts of information [to Chinese authorities] over the course for the last six or eight months," Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International Inc., said. "We remain optimistic that we will receive clearance from China and will complete the transactions in the coming weeks."

Marriott owns 91 properties in China as well as 146 more under construction. Starwood, on the other hand, has 283 hotels in China. Given the wide reach of the hoteliers in the country, China's request for an extended review comes as no surprise to some experts.

"Of course, China is trying to expand the role of its domestic players, so there are residual concerns about what this deal could mean for China's own hospitality industry," Eswar Prasad, Cornell University professor and former head of the International Monetary Fund's China division, told The Washington Post.

Tagsmarriott, Starwood, Hotels, merging, Acquisition, china, Ministry of Commerce, Antitrust law