Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Tuesday announced an expanded partnership with Design Hotels−which marks the 11th Starwood brand−that will go a long way toward instilling even more brand loyalty.
The announcement comes just seven months after Starwood launched its 10th brand, Tribute. Since 2011, Starwood has been a majority, but passive, investor in the Berlin-based Design Hotels, which for more than two decades has served as a global distribution, sales, and marketing affiliation for nearly 300 independently owned and operated hotels and resorts.
Select member hotels of Design Hotels are now bookable through Starwood’s websites, mobile apps, and global network of Customer Contact Centers, giving Starwood Preferred Guest members more access to one-of-a-kind experiences in high-demand destinations.
Guests who book directly through Starwood channels will now receive select SPG benefits and earn Star points during their stays at participating member hotels of Design Hotels™. The partnership will also boost exposure for Design Hotels™ across Starwood’s industry-leading distribution and loyalty platforms, while further introducing Starwood Hotels and its award-winning SPG program to a new set of global travelers.
“Starwood’s hotel guests and SPG members will see our new marketing partnership with Design Hotels™ as an 11th Starwood brand,” said Adam Aron, Starwood’s interim CEO. “It will create a special niche in our distinct portfolio of global brands and offer more options for travelers to stay with us around the world. These independent, design-forward hotels will benefit from Starwood’s powerful loyalty and distribution platforms. They will also serve to help us enhance owner and shareholder returns and attract more high-value guests to SPG who make up more than half of all Starwood stays.”
The first SPG partner hotels include the Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City; Ten Bompas in Johannesburg, South Africa; the C-Hotel in Lake Como, Italy; Nira Montana in La Thuile, Italy; Nira Alpina in St. Moritz, Switzerland; and Kruisherenhotel Maastricht in the Netherlands.
What’s more, the ION Luxury Adventure Hotel in Iceland, the Tribe Hotel in Kenya, as well as Grupo Habita’s hotels in Mexico will join prior to the end of the year.
In early 2016, member hotels of Design Hotels will join from major destinations, including London (Town Hall Hotel), Istanbul (Gezi Istanbul), Shanghai (The Waterhouse at South Bund), Athens (New Hotel), Singapore (Wanderlust), France (Les Bains), and South Korea (nest hotel).
With 296 affiliated hotels in a wide variety of settings, from great capital cities to beach retreats, mountain resorts, offbeat spots, and far beyond, more member hotels of the Design Hotels™ portfolio are expected to sign up over the next 12 months.