Video: Sheraton Hotel Guests Stay Free as Industry's Most Recognized Brand Celebrates the Culmination of $6 Billion Global Revitalization

30 Sep 2009 14:00 Africa/Lagos

Video: Sheraton Hotel Guests Stay Free as Industry's Most Recognized Brand Celebrates the Culmination of $6 Billion Global Revitalization



Check-in On Us - Thousands of Rooms on the House at 86 hotels New and Newly Renovated Properties Visit sheraton.com/freenight to Register for Your Chance to Stay for Free on October 23rd

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Sheraton Hotels & Resorts wants consumers to see what a difference $6 billion can make so the hotel giant is giving away thousands of free rooms for one night only at 86 hotels throughout North America to celebrate the completion of the brand's multi-billion global revitalization effort. Consumers can visit sheraton.com/freenight on October 6-9 to register for a chance to book a free room on October 23rd at new and newly renovated flagship hotels including the Sheraton Waikiki, Sheraton Boston, Sheraton Kauai, Sheraton Dallas and Sheraton Phoenix Downtown.



To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/sheraton/40288/


(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090930/NY84228 )


70,000 New Guestrooms, 300 New Lobbies and 100,000 New Beds Part of Multi-Billion Makeover


As part of a three-year global overhaul, Sheraton has invested more than $4 billion in new hotels, renovations and signature brand initiatives in North America and another $2 billion in new hotels overseas. Highlights include:


-- 70,000 new or newly renovated guestrooms -- 50,000 in North America
alone
-- More than 300 new lobbies featuring the brand's innovative
Link@Sheraton(SM) experienced with Microsoft®
-- More than 100,000 brand new Sheraton Sweet Sleeper all-white, high
thread count beds in 211 hotels and 83,000 guestrooms worldwide

-- 98 renovated properties, nearly half of Sheraton's North American
portfolio, including high profile gateway properties like the Sheraton
Denver, Sheraton Boston, Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers and Sheraton
Montreal and Sheraton Waikiki.

Global Powerhouse Boasts Highest Brand Awareness in the Industry


As Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc's (NYSE:HOT) largest and most global brand, Sheraton boasts more than 400 hotels in 70 countries with a global brand awareness among business travelers at 92%, the highest global awareness of any hotel brand in the world. Making up more than 44% of Starwood's total rooms, Sheraton is a key focus for Starwood, especially as the company aggressively prepares to own the upswing as the economy recovers. As yesterday's staycations, canceled meetings and postponed business trips become tomorrow's pent up demand, travelers will return to the road and find the newest portfolio in the Sheraton brand's history. In fact, 60% of Starwood properties - including all nine brands - will be brand new or freshly renovated by the end of 2009.


"We have spent the last few years renovating and rebuilding one of the hotel industry's most iconic brands and as the economy begins to recover Sheraton is in an enviable position, poised to come out of the gate fast and leverage our new flagship hotels, renovated properties and signature brand offerings," said Frits van Paasschen, Starwood CEO. "When travelers return to the road en masse, Sheraton will be ready."


Revitalization Plan already Bearing Fruit as Guest Satisfaction Scores Reach Historic Highs


Sheraton Hotel's efforts to revitalize the brand kicked off in 2007, and as the impact of these efforts take hold in hotels worldwide, the brand is beginning to reap rewards and measurable success, including:


-- Sheraton Guest Satisfaction scores are the highest in its history,
with overall satisfaction at 8.12 out of 10, year-to-date, surpassing
the brand's own goal. Likelihood to return to the brand has increased
from 7.89 to 8.78 and Meeting Planner Satisfaction scores are also at
an all time high.
-- Sheraton has opened 57 new hotels worldwide since 2007 with 10 more
slated to open by the end of the year -- more than any other Starwood
brand
-- In addition, Sheraton has removed more than 38 hotels worldwide
including 24 in North America that could not meet the brand's new
standards. 4 more will exit the brand by the end of the year.

-- Over the next three months, Sheraton will mark the completion of a
$500 million investment in renovations to existing properties,
including multi-million dollar efforts at the Sheraton Denver,
Sheraton Dallas and Sheraton Montreal, as well as the
highly-anticipated November opening of Sheraton Puerto Rico Convention
Center Hotel & Casino, a $210 million, 503-room property that will be
the first new full-service hotel and casino built in San Juan in more
than 10 years.


Seeing is Believing -- Thousands of Travel Pros to Attend Sheraton Open House Events


In addition to giving away thousands of room nights to showcase its recently renovated and new properties, the brand will host a three-day open house for meeting planners, corporate travel buyers, social event planners and other travel influencers, September 29-October 1. The event will spotlight a selection of Sheraton Hotels "best in class" hotels, including: Le Centre Sheraton in Montreal, Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, Sheraton Birmingham Hotel, Sheraton Dallas Hotel, Sheraton Denver Hotel, Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers and Sheraton Waikiki Hotel.


Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, like all brands within Starwood's robust portfolio, is proud to offer the Starwood Preferred Guest® program, which made headlines when it launched in 1999 with a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates on Free Night Awards. SPG® offers members the ability to redeem awards at more resorts, more luxury properties, more European hotels and more golf properties than any other hotel program.


About Sheraton Hotels & Resorts


Sheraton helps guests make connections at more than 400 hotels in 75 countries around the world. It is owned by and is the largest and most global brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 960 properties in 97 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Meridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft®, and Element SM. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.


Video: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/sheraton/40288
Source: Sheraton Hotels & Resorts

CONTACT: Nadeen Ayala of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, +1-914-640-8259; or
Julie Horn of Dan Klores Communications, +1-212-981-5221


Web Site: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/


Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/443150.html