Exhibit 23.1

                       CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration
Statement on Form S-8 of our report dated March 15, 1999 relating to the
financial statements and financial statement schedules of Starwood Financial
Trust, which appears in Starwood Financial Trust's Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 1998.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

New York, NY
November 2, 1999