Sheraton Grand Hotels - new designation
Aug 20, 2015, 7:34 pm
#61
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Portland, OR
Programs: Alaska MVP, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Explorist, Marriott Gold Elite
Posts: 129
Since there will likely only be a limited % of Sheratons that become Grand (less they dilute the new super-brand), I doubt that the mass group of regular Sheratons would feel incented to refurbish, or to better the service.
IMO, Grand does nothing for the ~90% of Sheratons that will stay regular Sheratons.
IMO, Grand does nothing for the ~90% of Sheratons that will stay regular Sheratons.
Sheraton Portland Airport: Perhaps equivalent to a Holiday Inn.
Sheraton Grand Sacramento: Nice, middle of the road, average. "Grand" is a misnomer and should be dropped. Doubt that his property could ever rise to the level of...
Sheraton Grande Edinburgh: Contemporary and gorgeous with extensive facilities. IMHO, clearly on par with a JW Marriott.
Aug 20, 2015, 10:37 pm
#62
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: Delta Skymiles
Posts: 1,982
I think the lack of a single North American property is telling....
Aug 21, 2015, 7:27 am
#63
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,167
I disagree.
Having Grand Hyatt hasn't diluted the Hyatt brand any more than having Sheraton Grand will dilute the Sheraton brand. If anything, it gives Sheraton some needed resuscitation to complement the Sheraton 2020 plan.
One of the problems for Starwood branding is that there are no "Starwood" hotels...unlike with Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt. Subsets of the major Starwood brands is therefore more important for brand identity and marketing than it is for those peers. There's a reason that Doubletree and EmbassySuites have added the "by Hilton" designation. More people respond to a name they know (as well as trust). And whether we want to admit it or not, more people respond to "Grand" and "Marquis" and "Royal" too.
In the years to come, those Sheraton properties that distinguish themselves both in terms of better refurbishment and high service levels will be able to join the Sheraton Grand club. Those properties will provide better assurance of higher quality, and that is a strong encouragement for many Sheraton property owners...even beyond whatever strictures Starwood places on Sheraton as a whole as part of its 2020 plan.
Not every Sheraton will become Grand. But having a goal for a certain proportion of Sheratons to be Grand gives Starwood important yardsticks for improvement. Obviously, any Sheratons in the USA that improve and gain the Grand moniker will be a welcome sight. If they don't improve sufficiently or aren't located in the appropriate locations to qualify for Grand, they still have goals for improvement. That's a win for everyone.
I'm amazed at the negative perceptions of the Sheraton Grand moniker. I will appreciate knowing that a certain Sheraton property is among the top rung of the Sheraton properties. That is in no way obvious today. That will be more obvious tomorrow...and in the coming years.
Change is the only constant. Starwood is making a nice change that bodes well IMO.
Having Grand Hyatt hasn't diluted the Hyatt brand any more than having Sheraton Grand will dilute the Sheraton brand. If anything, it gives Sheraton some needed resuscitation to complement the Sheraton 2020 plan.
One of the problems for Starwood branding is that there are no "Starwood" hotels...unlike with Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt. Subsets of the major Starwood brands is therefore more important for brand identity and marketing than it is for those peers. There's a reason that Doubletree and EmbassySuites have added the "by Hilton" designation. More people respond to a name they know (as well as trust). And whether we want to admit it or not, more people respond to "Grand" and "Marquis" and "Royal" too.
In the years to come, those Sheraton properties that distinguish themselves both in terms of better refurbishment and high service levels will be able to join the Sheraton Grand club. Those properties will provide better assurance of higher quality, and that is a strong encouragement for many Sheraton property owners...even beyond whatever strictures Starwood places on Sheraton as a whole as part of its 2020 plan.
Not every Sheraton will become Grand. But having a goal for a certain proportion of Sheratons to be Grand gives Starwood important yardsticks for improvement. Obviously, any Sheratons in the USA that improve and gain the Grand moniker will be a welcome sight. If they don't improve sufficiently or aren't located in the appropriate locations to qualify for Grand, they still have goals for improvement. That's a win for everyone.
I'm amazed at the negative perceptions of the Sheraton Grand moniker. I will appreciate knowing that a certain Sheraton property is among the top rung of the Sheraton properties. That is in no way obvious today. That will be more obvious tomorrow...and in the coming years.
Change is the only constant. Starwood is making a nice change that bodes well IMO.
This is a two-pronged Starwood effort:
- They'll identify the 50-100 properties that have the most potential to be Grand (best locations, highest ADR, newest/most recently renovated, growing cities, etc.)
- And they're trying to elevate the rest of the chain as well, given how tired it is (esp. in NA).
I don't really see any co-mingling between the two.
You can check on your hypothesis over in the Hyatt forum - ask them, once the Grand Hyatt tier was established, how many Hyatt Regencies were elevated to Grand over time?
I guess time will tell.
Aug 21, 2015, 8:54 am
#64
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kuwait (KW)
Programs: Qatar Airways, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 2,712
Thanks! I've been collecting Sheraton brochures since I was a little kid, in 1984, when all the hotels used to have huge racks of brochures, which were like catnip to a kid. I now have thousands of brochures, both current (aided by emailing) and dating back to the beginning of the chain (aided by eBay). So I've followed Sheraton from one chain to the creation of its modern child brands - Four Points, The Luxury Colection, St. Regis, and now Sheraton Grand.
So great to find a like-minded and -hobbied individual!
khabah
Aug 21, 2015, 9:09 am
#65
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,414
It seems like this is Starwood's attempt to work with the fact that they own this legacy brand that has wildly different standards all over the world--so that without knowing the specific property one has no idea what one will find--the word "Sheraton" means nothing....and yet, it is so iconic that they can't get rid of it.
The other brands, in some loose sense, mean something. I know that a Westin will have a business like atmosphere and be decent. I know that Le Meridian will have a creative/artistic feel and that 4 points will be a gross airport hotel or the like.
The big international iconic brand is in some ways at odds with SPG's overall strategy, which seems to be about creating more of a boutique kind of feel with unique properties that are not nearly as generic as other global brands----so maybe this is a kind of compromise between the competing goals of being the stewards of a legacy brand and working with the current market which shows a strong interest in more unique and special properties.
The other brands, in some loose sense, mean something. I know that a Westin will have a business like atmosphere and be decent. I know that Le Meridian will have a creative/artistic feel and that 4 points will be a gross airport hotel or the like.
The big international iconic brand is in some ways at odds with SPG's overall strategy, which seems to be about creating more of a boutique kind of feel with unique properties that are not nearly as generic as other global brands----so maybe this is a kind of compromise between the competing goals of being the stewards of a legacy brand and working with the current market which shows a strong interest in more unique and special properties.
Aug 21, 2015, 9:25 am
#66
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: YQR
Programs: Nexus/GE, UA/MPG, Bonvoy Tit, LTP
Posts: 1,294
I have no concerns with the change but have 2 practical questions that perhaps may need a Lurker's input.
1. When does this come into force? I read ( okay...skimmed) the release on the linked page and can only assume that the10 hotels listed are already in the new portfolio, especially as it seems that their web page is live.
2.If that is the case will stays in any of these hotels that are already scheduled still qualify for the most recent Sheraton promotion? We have 9 days in the Sheraton Grande Taipei next month.
1. When does this come into force? I read ( okay...skimmed) the release on the linked page and can only assume that the10 hotels listed are already in the new portfolio, especially as it seems that their web page is live.
2.If that is the case will stays in any of these hotels that are already scheduled still qualify for the most recent Sheraton promotion? We have 9 days in the Sheraton Grande Taipei next month.
Aug 21, 2015, 9:41 am
#67
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta - Gold; Starwood - Platinum; HHonors - Diamond & Avis Preferred
Posts: 10,869
It seems like this is Starwood's attempt to work with the fact that they own this legacy brand that has wildly different standards all over the world--so that without knowing the specific property one has no idea what one will find--the word "Sheraton" means nothing....and yet, it is so iconic that they can't get rid of it.
The other brands, in some loose sense, mean something. I know that a Westin will have a business like atmosphere and be decent. I know that Le Meridian will have a creative/artistic feel and that 4 points will be a gross airport hotel or the like.
The big international iconic brand is in some ways at odds with SPG's overall strategy, which seems to be about creating more of a boutique kind of feel with unique properties that are not nearly as generic as other global brands----so maybe this is a kind of compromise between the competing goals of being the stewards of a legacy brand and working with the current market which shows a strong interest in more unique and special properties.
The other brands, in some loose sense, mean something. I know that a Westin will have a business like atmosphere and be decent. I know that Le Meridian will have a creative/artistic feel and that 4 points will be a gross airport hotel or the like.
The big international iconic brand is in some ways at odds with SPG's overall strategy, which seems to be about creating more of a boutique kind of feel with unique properties that are not nearly as generic as other global brands----so maybe this is a kind of compromise between the competing goals of being the stewards of a legacy brand and working with the current market which shows a strong interest in more unique and special properties.
IMO, this is what is happening: We, Starwood, believe that we have elite properties within the Sheraton brand that compete with Hyatt and Marriott. Nothing more, nothing less.
And while we're at it we're going to try to refresh the Sheraton brand, market it better and make sure property owners (I can't even type this part with a straight face) adhere to brand standards.
Aug 21, 2015, 10:55 am
#68
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: SPG
Posts: 713
I have no concerns with the change but have 2 practical questions that perhaps may need a Lurker's input.
1. When does this come into force? I read ( okay...skimmed) the release on the linked page and can only assume that the10 hotels listed are already in the new portfolio, especially as it seems that their web page is live.
2.If that is the case will stays in any of these hotels that are already scheduled still qualify for the most recent Sheraton promotion? We have 9 days in the Sheraton Grande Taipei next month.
1. When does this come into force? I read ( okay...skimmed) the release on the linked page and can only assume that the10 hotels listed are already in the new portfolio, especially as it seems that their web page is live.
2.If that is the case will stays in any of these hotels that are already scheduled still qualify for the most recent Sheraton promotion? We have 9 days in the Sheraton Grande Taipei next month.
The Grand hotels listed in the release and on the website are effective immediately "Grand" hotels.
All Sheraton Grand tier hotels are part of the Sheraton Free Weekends promotion and this new tier does not change that.
Kind regards,
Alexandra Baker
Specialist, Social Media
Starwood Hotels and Resorts
[email protected]
Aug 21, 2015, 12:11 pm
#69
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: YQR
Programs: Nexus/GE, UA/MPG, Bonvoy Tit, LTP
Posts: 1,294
Thank you very much Alexandra.
Aug 21, 2015, 12:46 pm
#70
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 932
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Hyatt_New_York
Eventually in the mid/late 80s Hyatt started building more Grand Hyatts, mostly in Asia. Almost all of the Grand Hyatts have been built as GHs. The only conversions from Hyatt or Hyatt Regency that I know of are San Diego, San Francsco, Denver and Melbourne.
Last edited by James Luckard; Aug 21, 2015 at 1:29 pm
Aug 21, 2015, 12:48 pm
#71
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 932
Wow, amazing! Thought I was the only one in the world who did this! I sent you a private message, be fun to talk more about this!
Aug 21, 2015, 3:05 pm
#72
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QR GLD; Bonvoy LT TIT
Posts: 12,753
Hi, -- I'm confused. You say that all Sheraton Grand tier hotels are part of the Sheraton Free Weekends Promotion; but upthread, someone inquired about SGS, which is an LC property. Now it's also on the Sheraton Grand tier list, so does that make it eligible for the promotion? If so, that's great news for me!!
Aug 21, 2015, 4:14 pm
#73
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: SPG
Posts: 713
Hi, -- I'm confused. You say that all Sheraton Grand tier hotels are part of the Sheraton Free Weekends Promotion; but upthread, someone inquired about SGS, which is an LC property. Now it's also on the Sheraton Grand tier list, so does that make it eligible for the promotion? If so, that's great news for me!!
My sincere apologies. Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok is not included in the Sheraton Free Weekends promotion.
To correct my previous comment, all Sheraton properties that were previously included in Free Weekends promotion and are now designated Sheraton Grand properties are still included in the promotion.
Kind regards,
Alexandra Baker
Specialist, Social Media
Starwood Hotels and Resorts
[email protected]
Aug 21, 2015, 4:19 pm
#74
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 932
This is unfortunately the confusion that comes from having hotels that have the word Sheraton in their name, one of which is also now part of Sheraton Grand, yet are not actually branded as Sheratons.
Aug 21, 2015, 5:12 pm
#75
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC/ EWR/ PHL
Programs: UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,210
Hi Dr. HFH,
My sincere apologies. Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok is not included in the Sheraton Free Weekends promotion.
To correct my previous comment, all Sheraton properties that were previously included in Free Weekends promotion and are now designated Sheraton Grand properties are still included in the promotion.
Kind regards,
Alexandra Baker
Specialist, Social Media
Starwood Hotels and Resorts
[email protected]
My sincere apologies. Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok is not included in the Sheraton Free Weekends promotion.
To correct my previous comment, all Sheraton properties that were previously included in Free Weekends promotion and are now designated Sheraton Grand properties are still included in the promotion.
Kind regards,
Alexandra Baker
Specialist, Social Media
Starwood Hotels and Resorts
[email protected]
Are hotels in the new Sheraton Grand brand eligible for the new benefit offered to SPG AMEX Business cardholders of Sheraton Club access?