A large number of hydroxylated 2,3-diaryl-9H-xanthen-9-ones have been synthesised by two different approaches, starting either from 3-bromo-2-methyl-4H-chromen-4-one or from (E)-3-bromo-2-styryl-4H-chromen-4-ones. The former method involves Heck reactions between 3-bromo-2-methyl-4H-chromen-4-one and styrenes, leading to (E)-2-methyl-3-styryl-4H-chromen-4-ones; these condensed with benzaldehyde to give (E,E)-2,3-distyryl-4H-chromen-4-ones, which led to the desired 2,3-diaryl-9H-xanthen-9-ones under reflux in 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene. 3-Bromo-2-styryl-4H-chromen-4-ones were obtained either by aldol condensations between 3-bromo-2-methyl-4H-chromen-4-one and benzaldehydes, or through Baker-Venkataraman rearrangements of 2-acetylphenyl cinnamates, followed by one-pot bromination/ cyclisation with phenyltrimethylammonium tribromide. The 2,3-diaryl-9H-xanthene-9-ones were obtained in one-pot transformations involving Heck reactions between (E)-3-