Originally Posted by
sbtinme
For me, this is the core of the issue, however. The Westin brand managers absolutely do NOT wish to be seen as a mid-range hotel brand. They've always been about aspirational positioning, etc, etc.
I completely agree that dispenser pumps in bathrooms does, however, feel very mid-range hotelish.
So, therein lies the issue, for me at least.
But in the Starwood portfolio of brands, the reality is, they
are mid-range, in spite of all the management aspirations to be at the high end of their category. (Which I applaud.)
But more importantly, I think the majority of
customers (outside of us FT maniacs)
who will really care or not care about this issue (and
that is what is key here), see Westin as mid-range. These customers know that if they want a higher end experience, they will stay at a W, a St. Regis, or a Lux Collection.
At those higher end brands, at least now, I would not be tempted to try this. But Westin may well prove that the majority of people either don't care, or appreciate the lack of waste. Or not.
I think this is very much worth a pilot program and I get why they're doing it at Westin -- it's probably the brand that is right on the edge of whether customers will accept it or not. If it works, it should also work down the line of brands, and I would look for it to happen.