Sheraton Hotels & Resorts has provided more details about its 2020 plan, designed to refresh the brand and its standing in the public eye.
The groundwork for the five-year initiative has already been laid, with Andy Kong, brand manager, greater china, Sheraton, Westin and Le Meridien revealing that a new digital online platform was launched earlier this year – designed to be more intuitive with compelling content.
For example the search engine has been streamlined so guests can see all properties with availability within a certain destination, rather than having to check each property individually.
A US$100 million global advertising campaign has also been developed, with the group debuting its first Chinese television commercial in Zhuhai this weekend. The campaign is expected to run until 2017, with a focus on generating buzz through carefully executed social media strategies.
With the aim of opening over 150 new properties by 2020, Kong reiterated the need for the brand to continually innovate the guest experience. This has resulted in the reinvigoration of the lobby bar experience with the launch of “Paired”. The new F&B program comprises artisanal small plates and bar snacks that are served alongside premium wines and local craft beers.
Another key point of Sheraton 2020 includes the launch of Sheraton Grand. As previously reported (see here), this will see over a hundred premier Sheraton properties elevated to the new Sheraton Grand tier. Initially focused on global gateways to target high-value travellers, the brand aims to better match guests’ experiences and showcase Sheraton’s best properties.
A total of 10 Sheraton hotels have so far been elevated to the new tier, with five of those being based in Asia-Pacific. These include:
Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel
Sheraton Grand Beijing Dongcheng Hotel
Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit
Sheraton Grande Taipei Hotel
Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel
Sheraton's brand expansion is unlikely to affected by the recent US$12.2 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts by Marriott International (see here), said Sunny Heng, managing director of Sheraton Zhuhai. A veteran hotelier with more than 30 years experience, Heng believes that the individual hotel brands will continue to develop and grow independently.
For more information, visit sheraton.com
Clement Huang
