Sheraton, one of the best-known hotel brands, and the core of the Starwood hotel empire, hasn’t had much respect lately; it’s been seen as a weary and unexciting brand. Starwood has a plan to change that with upgrades, new hotels and a new tier of Sheraton Grand hotels.
The 10-year plan, called Sheraton 2020, includes includes $100 million in marketing, adding 150 hotels to the existing 450 and creating a new tier of 100 hotels under the name Sheraton Grand. CEO Adam Aron describes that plan as a way to “showcase our best properties and create a halo effect.”
Aside from adding and upgrading properties, he said that customer service improvements will be the focus, with visible changes starting right away in food and beverage options, lobbies and more. He added, “This is about making sure we are maniacal about customer service.
This will be a big week for hotel stories, by the way; most of the world’s biggest chains are represented at the New York University International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, and they all want to tout their latest for investors.
Above: Sheraton Waikiki, Hawaii Photo: Starwood Hotels and Resorts
