F0CUS

Damn! The Sheraton Wuxi is leaving too?!!! When/how did you hear that?

Starwood Lurker II

The previous Sheraton Wuxi has left SPG few months back.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...aton-wuxi.html

There might be a new Sheraton at Wuxi few years from now.

And nope. There is no relation between this and Sheraton Suzhou leaving.

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iahphx

Well, it's "more official" now. Published announcement.

The hotel has been owned by the Pan Pacific group and they're going to rebrand it a Pan Pacific hotel.

http://www.chinahospitalitynews.com/...pen-in-suzhou/

This particular rebranding stinks for those of us with status across several of the major brands. Who has status with Pan Pacific? While I've always enjoyed the architecture of the hotel -- and my upgraded room facing the fantastic traditional public garden in the rear -- the BEST thing about the hotel was the deal I could get even as only an SPG gold. Cheap cash & points rate and then an upgrade to lounge benefits/breakfast for a modest additional number of miles. I guess now I'll have to pay "real money" for these bennies. Or stay elsewhere next summer. A sad travel day for me -- this was one of the best hotel deals in the world!

azepine00

I am not sure what SPG is thinking - Suzhou is a popular tourist destination and WuXi area has had a lot of business growth recently. And yet starwood promptly dropped two properties with no replacement.

I really don't care when SPG drops a generic property (say Sheraton SFO) but Sheraton Suzhou is one of those interesting hotels I really want to return to...

moondog

It sounds like the property owners were doing most of the thinking.

Starwood Lurker

Did you read the press release posted above? SPG had nothing to do with this hotel leaving. The hotel owners want to expand their own brand in the region.

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William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

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Life_Platinum

William, this is a major loss, as this is another fine hotel leaving the Starwood empire.

Could Starwood "Code Share" some of the best hotels with other chains in a similar fashion as airlines do code shares with other airlines?

iceage

i guess business was not that good and it's expensive. There is a marriott courtyard not far and much cheaper. Kempinski wuxi opened last year. quite nice.

i think Shangrila suzhou is nicer than sheraton suzhou. There are also several new hotels which you can consider, kempinski, intercontinental etc.

Starwood Lurker

Not that I'm aware of.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

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iahphx

The Sheraton was half the reason I always stopped in Suzhou when in Shanghai. The other half was to take the wife to buy pearls at the nearby "Pearl City" wholesale market. If she still wants to go pearl shopping, I guess I'll read all the reviews and play "let's make a deal" to figure out where to stay. I feel like I lost "my home" in Suzhou. The good news is that, in China, there's always a new luxury hotel going up, so maybe I'll find a new home. I doubt it will be as unique as the Sheraton, however.

azepine00

I realize that. However I would expect Starwood to be somewhat more proactive with searching for new/rebranded properties in the area once Sheraton Wuxi left almost two years ago and Suzhou's contract was coming up for renewal. Right now it appears that the back up plan was to simply abandon the area.

moondog

AFIK, Starwood doesn't go out of its way to score contracts in second tier cities.

Starwood Lurker

Actually, I'm sure that it would if there was a similar interest expressed from a hotel owner in those second tier cities.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

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MIKEM

Very nice hotel and I especially liked that the subway stop was on the property. That said, I will not stay there if it's a Pan Pacific.

moondog

Right. That was sort of my point.