People who work in the hotel industry are so weird(IHG)
Feb 11, 2019, 1:42 am
#16
Join Date: Jun 2009
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Are JW and W competitors? Throughout much of the past 20 years, if I was in the market for a big-city stay, I'd consider both of these brands as upper-upscale type hotels. They have different styles of course, but yes I would definitely say they were competing. I was a Starwood, Marriott, and Hilton member (usually in the Gold/Plat/Diamond range), so I'd look at both of these two and get rates from the Conrad while I was at it. So the notion that they weren't competitors seems strange. Their target demographics may have varied a little bit, but there was a huge amount of overlap.
Feb 11, 2019, 9:35 am
#17
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
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Perhaps I'm indirectly saying that I never perceived W as so luxe that it could free itself entirely from the market for other upper-upscale type hotels. They were not the St. Regis or Ritz-Carlton.
Disclaimer being that most of my W experience is in large cities with a full Marriott, Starwood, Hilton, and Hyatt presence. Resort dynamics are somewhat different, and there may be places where the W is so unique that it really doesn't face much competition for the mainline Marriotts of the world.
Feb 11, 2019, 9:30 pm
#18
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SIN
Programs: TK-G | Accor P | SQ-G | Marriott T
Posts: 3,831
No, you're definitely right in terms of the styles. All I'm saying is that there's a lot of overlap in terms of the pool of potential guests. W has to fill the rooms Monday-Thursday nights, so they have to be able to attract corporate bookings. When I was in my 20's, doing a lot of business travel, and in the right demo for W, I could definitely consider them for my trips - but they had to price out in the range with a JW or mainline Marriott or Westin. I had a little leeway, but I couldn't book a $400 room when everybody knew the standard Marriott or Westin was $200. So in that sense, they were generally competing with the other hotels. In fact, our corporate rates worked across the Starwoods and I'd often book a W when it was available. It was typically in the same price range as the Westins using our code.
Perhaps I'm indirectly saying that I never perceived W as so luxe that it could free itself entirely from the market for other upper-upscale type hotels. They were not the St. Regis or Ritz-Carlton.
Disclaimer being that most of my W experience is in large cities with a full Marriott, Starwood, Hilton, and Hyatt presence. Resort dynamics are somewhat different, and there may be places where the W is so unique that it really doesn't face much competition for the mainline Marriotts of the world.
Perhaps I'm indirectly saying that I never perceived W as so luxe that it could free itself entirely from the market for other upper-upscale type hotels. They were not the St. Regis or Ritz-Carlton.
Disclaimer being that most of my W experience is in large cities with a full Marriott, Starwood, Hilton, and Hyatt presence. Resort dynamics are somewhat different, and there may be places where the W is so unique that it really doesn't face much competition for the mainline Marriotts of the world.
most of the branded hotels are typically very corporate looks as their clienteles are business people, such as Marriott, Sheraton, JW, Shangrila, InterCon bla bla bla, unless you are in resort town.
there are hotel that come up with unique concept. I think this is got nothing to do with business/lesiure traveler. but got more to do that nowadays you need to cater for Millennial and they do not like on such "boring" concept. This is where W, Indigo and those other brands position themselves. I stayed in W before. Personally, I am not really like it, as I feel it is less formal... but again this is personal preference.
Feb 15, 2019, 8:40 am
#19
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Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 319
It is definitely time now to comment. A frequent guest like OP who regularly stays at midscale to luxury hotels worldwide may have an even much better idea of hospitality than an x-arbitrary manager who runs a midscale hotel somewhere (in Greater China or elsewhere in the world). The manager might have learned what is REVPAR and what should be good for the owner but that does not mean the guests will be satisfied with the outcome of his management and what they understand as hospitality.
Yes, what they know about hotel( Revpar, service, Oasis system, how to greeting a guest..) is totally different thing to what we as guest understanding about hotel. and they have very little experience in staying at other hotel groups or others loyalty program.
I remember in training day , this GM told us how generous that Starwood was to its Plat member, free upgrade to suite. "In IHG, we only give you one category upgrade, and when I am able to sell my suite, why should I give it free to elite members? In IHG, you paid for what you want!"
And then, she told us after acquiring by Marriott, SPG no longer allow Plat member to have a suite upgrade...
From my horrible days in HIX, from GM to sales director to marketing girls , they tend to like sharing story about their friends, " oh, my friends is a super elite member in Marriott , in SPG , he got all the top member tier at all hotel group" " oh , my friend are ...", but I never heard any story of their own personal staying at a Marriott or Hyatt or courtyard or a Four Seasons, but they like to make questionable and incorrect judgment for other hotel group, just because she is a director of holiday inn express. This is so ridiculous.
if you really like to criticize or share your opinion about competitors of IHG, Please, staying at a few Marriott and Ritz Carlton, THEN, comeback to make those opinions, don't provide incorrect info based on how your imaginary feel about Marriott or other company, just because you are GM or sales director in a crappy franchise HIX (which owner are incredibly stingy and imagine his new Indigo next to Taipei Marriott will be a successfull one, but it will not ), but you are nobody when you step out of the door of HIX TC. And yes you know so little about hotel industry.
BTW, the GM of this hotel , leave HIX TC and head to a LM hotel last November, how ironic. I hope she can read T&C of Marriott program before training her employee..
This is my last response to anything related to IHG in this Forum. I don't want have anything to do with this England based hotel company anymore ,it's horrible, the worst.
Last edited by Vince Chan; Feb 15, 2019 at 10:19 am
Feb 18, 2019, 2:14 pm
#21
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Bounding Around The Good 'Ole USA In My Chevrolet
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 381
Thanks , I really appreciate that.
Yes, what they know about hotel( Revpar, service, Oasis system, how to greeting a guest..) is totally different thing to what we as guest understanding about hotel. and they have very little experience in staying at other hotel groups or others loyalty program.
I remember in training day , this GM told us how generous that Starwood was to its Plat member, free upgrade to suite. "In IHG, we only give you one category upgrade, and when I am able to sell my suite, why should I give it free to elite members? In IHG, you paid for what you want!"
And then, she told us after acquiring by Marriott, SPG no longer allow Plat member to have a suite upgrade...
From my horrible days in HIX, from GM to sales director to marketing girls , they tend to like sharing story about their friends, " oh, my friends is a super elite member in Marriott , in SPG , he got all the top member tier at all hotel group" " oh , my friend are ...", but I never heard any story of their own personal staying at a Marriott or Hyatt or courtyard or a Four Seasons, but they like to make questionable and incorrect judgment for other hotel group, just because she is a director of holiday inn express. This is so ridiculous.
if you really like to criticize or share your opinion about competitors of IHG, Please, staying at a few Marriott and Ritz Carlton, THEN, comeback to make those opinions, don't provide incorrect info based on how your imaginary feel about Marriott or other company, just because you are GM or sales director in a crappy franchise HIX (which owner are incredibly stingy and imagine his new Indigo next to Taipei Marriott will be a successfull one, but it will not ), but you are nobody when you step out of the door of HIX TC. And yes you know so little about hotel industry.
BTW, the GM of this hotel , leave HIX TC and head to a LM hotel last November, how ironic. I hope she can read T&C of Marriott program before training her employee..
This is my last response to anything related to IHG in this Forum. I don't want have anything to do with this England based hotel company anymore ,it's horrible, the worst.
Yes, what they know about hotel( Revpar, service, Oasis system, how to greeting a guest..) is totally different thing to what we as guest understanding about hotel. and they have very little experience in staying at other hotel groups or others loyalty program.
I remember in training day , this GM told us how generous that Starwood was to its Plat member, free upgrade to suite. "In IHG, we only give you one category upgrade, and when I am able to sell my suite, why should I give it free to elite members? In IHG, you paid for what you want!"
And then, she told us after acquiring by Marriott, SPG no longer allow Plat member to have a suite upgrade...
From my horrible days in HIX, from GM to sales director to marketing girls , they tend to like sharing story about their friends, " oh, my friends is a super elite member in Marriott , in SPG , he got all the top member tier at all hotel group" " oh , my friend are ...", but I never heard any story of their own personal staying at a Marriott or Hyatt or courtyard or a Four Seasons, but they like to make questionable and incorrect judgment for other hotel group, just because she is a director of holiday inn express. This is so ridiculous.
if you really like to criticize or share your opinion about competitors of IHG, Please, staying at a few Marriott and Ritz Carlton, THEN, comeback to make those opinions, don't provide incorrect info based on how your imaginary feel about Marriott or other company, just because you are GM or sales director in a crappy franchise HIX (which owner are incredibly stingy and imagine his new Indigo next to Taipei Marriott will be a successfull one, but it will not ), but you are nobody when you step out of the door of HIX TC. And yes you know so little about hotel industry.
BTW, the GM of this hotel , leave HIX TC and head to a LM hotel last November, how ironic. I hope she can read T&C of Marriott program before training her employee..
This is my last response to anything related to IHG in this Forum. I don't want have anything to do with this England based hotel company anymore ,it's horrible, the worst.