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| Starwood Preferred Guest Program Starwood Hotels Brands 937 hotels March 31, 2009 St. Regis The Luxury Collection Le Meridien W Hotels Four Points Westin Aloft Sheraton Element
Starwood Hotels Competitive Advantages:
- Many properties are upscale or luxury hotel properties. Starwood Hotels has the highest representation of hotels among the five major hotel loyalty programs on the Conde Nast 2009 Hotels Gold List, particularly for hotels in Europe.
- The ability to use points for a free hotel award when needed is the main advantage of Starwood SPG. I have frequently found myself stranded at an airport and able to grab a room on points (and generally a relatively low number of points) rather than blowing $150 on my credit card for a last minute hotel room.
- Frequent hotel points bonus promotions and free night promotions.
- Cash & Points Awards (room awards for a set cash and points value depending on the hotel category) can significantly save on the cost of a hotel room at a particular property. Priority Club also introduced this option in 2009.
- SPG members can use points easily. Any member can book rooms without concern for blackout dates. SPG.com has a great table showing a comparison of the major 5 Hotel Loyalty Programs.
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/account/member_benefits/program_comparison.html
Starwood Hotel Properties Starwood Hotel Brand | Number of Hotels = 937 globally | Market Segment | Rooms per brand 284,359 globally | Ranking in World Top 50 Brands | Sheraton Hotels | 405 | upscale | 142,995 | 9 | Westin Hotels | 162 | Upper upscale | 64,813 | 22 | Four Points | 135 | midscale | 23,513 | Not in Top 50 | Aloft | 21 | midscale | 3,138 | Not in Top 50 | Luxury Collection | 62 | Upper upscale to luxury | 10,819 | Not in Top 50 | Le Meridien | 107 | Upper upscale to luxury | 27,160 | Not in Top 50 | W Hotels | 28 | Upper upscale to luxury | 8,600 | Not in Top 50 | St. Regis | 14 | Luxury | 2,952 | Not in Top 50 | element | 3 | Extended stay | 369 | Not in Top 50 |
Source: Starwood Investor Relations Presentation 2009 - Page 19 http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9MzM3NzA5fENoaWxkSUQ9MzIyOTkyfFR5cGU9MQ==&t=1 Top 50 Ranking is based on Hotels Magazine data. Source link: Top 50 Hotel Brands http://www.hotelsmag.com/contents/pdf/htl0907giantstables.pdf HotelsMag.com survey shows end-of-year 2008 numbers at 942 hotels and 284,800 rooms. St. Regis Hotels & Resorts (luxury full-service hotels, resorts and residences).
There are only about 50 hotels in The Luxury Collection globally and the architecture is usually inspirational. Europe is best represented with most of The Luxury Collection branded hotels.
In Europe the Luxury Collection hotels tend to be renovated historic properties. Most of the Luxury Collection hotels are in Europe as can be seen by this page with Luxury Collection
W Hotels (luxury and upscale full service hotels, retreats and residences). Currently there are 28 W Hotels in cities around the world. Starwood describes the brand as “a sensory multiplex that not only indulges the senses, it delivers an emotional experience.” My wife loves W hotels. The lighting is usually so low you want a flashlight at times and the ambient music drifts into your head.
Westin Hotels & Resorts (luxury and upscale full-service hotels and resorts) is the upper upscale brand in general when compared to Sheraton, the other prevalent upscale brand in Starwood’s family. The Westin Heavenly Bed and linens are well-known for guest comfort.
Le Méridien Hotels (luxury and upscale full-service hotels, resorts and residences) was a French-based hotel chain until acquired and rebranded as Starwood hotels in 2006. I have enjoyed the hotel décor and style at the Le Meridien properties I’ve visited and find them to still retain a distinctive European character. Sheraton Hotels & Resorts (luxury and upscale full-service hotels and resorts) is the largest Starwood brand by number of hotels. Sheraton is prominent in hotel conference business which can lead to wild fluctuations in room rates from one day to next, but also offer great bargains when occupancy is low.
Four Points by Sheraton (select-service hotels) is the midscale-upscale Starwood brand. aloft, a vision of W (select-service hotels), is a midscale-upscale cookie-cutter brand entry for Starwood. Element, inspired by Westin (extended stay hotels), are in development and there are currently three properties as of summer 2009.
Starwood Preferred Guest Hotel & Resort Categories
Category 1 hotels are mid-priced, full-service hotels and resorts. Category 1 Hotel Listings - Ric Garrido, Loyalty Traveler note: I have stayed at two Category 1 Starwood hotels in 2007 and both were wonderful stays. In Dresden, Germany at the Four Points Konigshof, I was upgraded to a full suite on a $50/night rate.
Category 2 hotels are full-service hotels and resorts in exciting destinations throughout the world.
Category 2 Hotel Listings -http://http://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/account/starpoints/categories/popup.html?spgCategoryCode=2
Category 3 hotels are full-service hotels and resorts in premium destinations and major cities worldwide.
Category 6 hotels are the world's most exclusive hotels and resorts, each one reflecting the unique characteristics of its surroundings for an unparalleled travel experience.
Category 6 Hotel Listings - http://http://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/account/starpoints/categories/popup.html?spgCategoryCode=6Category 7 hotels consist of Starwood’s uber hotels and resorts offering awe-inspiring surroundings in some of the world’s most spectacular destinations.
All rooms at the Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa, the St. Regis Resort Bora Bora, the W Retreat Maldives, and the Sunset Key Cottages, A Westin Resort, Key West are suites;
Category 7 Hotel Listings - http://http://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/account/starpoints/categories/popup.html?spgCategoryCode=7
A Real Loyalty Traveler Story - Cash & Points Award savings June 2007, I stayed at the Westin Atlanta Buckhead on an SPG Cash and Points award. The cost was $60 + 4,000 Starpoints ($140 value) when the lowest available rate for my hotel stay was $329/night. I was upgraded to a large one-room suite with a rack rate of $850/night and the room type I was given would have cost $459 at the lowest available paid rate.
 Westin Buckhead, Atlanta (Cash & Points $60 + 4,000 Starpoints)
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