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