8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): January 19, 2007

Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Maryland	001-32319	20-1296886
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

903 Calle Amanecer, Suite 100 San Clemente, California	92673
(Address of Principal Executive Office)	(Zip Code)

(949) 369-4000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

N/A

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

ITEM 9.01 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. (the “Company”) hereby files the following exhibit to, and incorporates such exhibit by reference in, the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-130480) that was filed on December 20, 2005 and supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 19, 2007, or otherwise pursuant to the requirements of Form 8-K:

Exhibit No.	Description
5.1	Opinion of Venable LLP

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc.
Date: January 19, 2007	By:	/s/ Robert A. Alter
		Robert A. Alter
		Chief Executive Officer

EX-5.1

Exhibit 5.1

January 19, 2007

Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc.

903 Calle Amanecer, Suite 100

San Clemente, California 92673

Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3

(File No. 333-130480)                        

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have served as Maryland counsel to Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), in connection with certain matters of Maryland law relating to the registration by the Company of up to 599,355 shares (the “Shares”) of common stock, par value $.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company, offered by a selling stockholder, covered by the above-referenced Registration Statement, and all amendments thereto (collectively, the “Registration Statement”), filed by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Registration Statement.

In connection with our representation of the Company, and as a basis for the opinion hereinafter set forth, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the following documents (collectively, the “Documents”):

1. The Registration Statement, and the related form of prospectus included therein and the supplement thereto, in the form in which it was filed with the Commission under the 1933 Act;

2. The charter of the Company (the “Charter”), certified as of a recent date by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (the “SDAT”);

3. The Bylaws of the Company, certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;

4. Resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company, relating to the issuance of the Shares, certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;

Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc.

January 19, 2007

Page 2

5. A certificate of the SDAT as to the good standing of the Company, dated as of a recent date;

6. A certificate executed by an officer of the Company, dated as of the date hereof; and

7. Such other documents and matters as we have deemed necessary or appropriate to express the opinion set forth below, subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein.

In expressing the opinion set forth below, we have assumed the following:

1. Each individual executing any of the Documents, whether on behalf of such individual or another person, is legally competent to do so.

2. Each individual executing any of the Documents on behalf of a party (other than the Company) is duly authorized to do so.

3. Each of the parties (other than the Company) executing any of the Documents has duly and validly executed and delivered each of the Documents to which such party is a signatory, and the obligations of such party set forth therein are legal, valid and binding and are enforceable in accordance with all stated terms.

4. All Documents submitted to us as originals are authentic. The form and content of all Documents submitted to us as unexecuted drafts do not differ in any respect relevant to this opinion from the form and content of such Documents as executed and delivered. All Documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies conform to the original documents. All signatures on all Documents are genuine. All public records reviewed or relied upon by us or on our behalf are true and complete. All representations, warranties, statements and information contained in the Documents are true and complete. There has been no oral or written modification of or amendment to any of the Documents, and there has been no waiver of any provision of any of the Documents, by action or omission of the parties or otherwise.

5. The Shares have not been, and will not be, issued or transferred in violation of the restrictions on transfer and ownership contained in Article VII of the Charter.

Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein, it is our opinion that:

Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc.

January 19, 2007

Page 3

1. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing under the laws of the State of Maryland and is in good standing with the SDAT.

2. The Shares have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

The foregoing opinion is limited to the laws of the State of Maryland and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any other law. We express no opinion as to compliance with any federal or state securities laws, including the securities laws of the State of Maryland, or as to federal or state laws regarding fraudulent transfers. To the extent that any matter as to which our opinion is expressed herein would be governed by the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Maryland, we do not express any opinion on such matter.

The opinion expressed herein is limited to the matters specifically set forth herein and no other opinion shall be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated. We assume no obligation to supplement this opinion if any applicable law changes after the date hereof or if we become aware of any fact that might change the opinion expressed herein after the date hereof.

This opinion is being furnished to you for submission to the Commission as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (the “Current Report”), which is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Current Report and the said incorporation by reference and to the use of the name of our firm therein. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the 1933 Act.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Venable LLP