Sheraton Hotels bought The Copley Plaza in 1941. They renamed it the Sheraton-Plaza Hotel in 1951 and operated it under that name until 1972, when they sold it to John Hancock Insurance for $6.5 million. The new owners renamed the hotel The Copley Plaza, but Sheraton continued to operate the property until 1974, when John Hancock hired Boston hospitality management firm Hotels of Distinction's Alan Tremain to run The Copley Plaza. During this time, the restaurants in the hotel were considered some of the best in the city and featured such chefs as Lydia Shire, Jasper White, and Gordon Hamersley.