Written By: Chris Austin, Vice President of Global Leisure and Luxury Sales, Starwood Hotel and Resorts
With the recent acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts by Marriott International, we are excited about the future. This is truly history in the making. Our combined companies make the largest hotel company in the world with 5,700 hotels and resorts around the world, plus the largest luxury portfolio with close to 400 properties across eight luxury brands.
Our customers are at the core of everything we do and that will not change in the months ahead. We remain committed to delivering the service excellence, creativity and flexibility you’ve come to experience from our teams.
No one brings you more of the world’s most desirable destinations, and more exceptional ways to enjoy them, than our luxury hotels and resorts. When booking your clients at St. Regis, The Luxury Collection or W Hotels Worldwide, your clients will enjoy a suite of privileges. We invite you to step into the bespoke world of St. Regis, explore an indigenous experience with The Luxury Collection or escape to where iconic design and contemporary luxury set the stage for exclusive and extraordinary experiences at W Hotels Worldwide.
We are proud to know that we have partners such as you. Thank YOU for your loyalty to our brands, hotels and people. For your dedicated business to Starwood and your loyal support we are sincerely grateful.
As we work toward the future as one company, there is still a bit of business left to finish for our Starwood brand and some of your favorite Starwood brands, regions and individual properties and resorts. I would like to ask our loyal partners in the Travel Professional Community to cast your vote in the Travel Weekly Reader’s Choice awards. The ballot is now live at www.travelweekly.vote and Starwood, its regions, brands and resorts are nominated in 13 different categories! Starwood Hotels & Resorts is the only hotel chain nominated in the travel agent education category and we know many of you are graduates of SPG Pro’s ProLearning and we would love for you to recognize those efforts. We are also the only global hospitality company nominated in the “Best Agent Loyalty Program” for SPG Pro. We have seen the value this program has offered our partners and we again would truly appreciate your support.
All of our associates at Starwood and our new colleagues within the Marriott organization look forward to continuing and growing our business with all of you.