starwood’s tribute portfolio
Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ 10th brand, Tribute Portfolio, is, says David Marr, global brand leader, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts and Tribute Portfolio, “built for travelers who seek unique and uncommon hotel experiences in key destinations. It’s a brand that aims to provide all of our members, guests and customers with unique experiences in places where they told us they love to go.” Tribute Portfolio, Marr continues, “is an answer to both our guests’ and our owners’ desire to ‘Stay Independent.’ Our guests have told us they want access to more great hotels in great places, where they can reap the rewards of our award-winning Starwood Preferred Guest program.”
The first hotel in the Tribute Portfolio collection, which is comprised of top-notch independent hotels and resorts around the world, is Florida’s Royal Palm South Beach. Additionally, there are four soon-to-open properties in Asheville, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Savannah, Georgia; and Charleston, South Carolina. It’s estimated that they’ll be about 100 Tribute Portfolio hotels within the next five years, but they will operate as independent hotels with access to Starwood’s “powerful distribution, loyalty and sales platform, all while maintaining their independent spirit,” Marr says.
In fact, Marr notes, with Tribute Portfolio, “our teams have to do a great job to educate [travel professionals] around ‘the story’ for each of these independent properties. They [travel professionals] have helped tell us where they’d like to see the brand based on where their customers want to travel to. Our first Tribute Portfolio hotel, Royal Palm South Beach,” allows them to “now offer their clients an iconic resort in the heart of South Beach.” Rates at the South Beach property start at $355.
starwoodhotels.com/tributeportfolio or spgpro.com
loews regency
Loews Hotels & Resorts’ new Loews Regency brand, with, as of press time, two hotels—the Loews Regency New York and the Loews Regency San Francisco—“offers customers,” says Jonathan Tisch, chairman, Loews Hotels & Resorts, “a true luxury experience that is more intimate and approachable.
“Our loyal Regency customers are a different guest,” Tisch continues, “and they really wanted more hotels with a similar luxury experience as the Loews Regency [New York]. Our customers were a key driving force in expanding upon the Loews Regency name.”
According to Tisch, after the $100 million renovation that took place at Loews Regency New York, “we knew we had a special offering, one that was different than the rest of our brand. As we look to expand our brands, we were looking for traditional Loews Hotels and also knew we had to identify the right hotel that is aligned with that of the Loews Regency New York. The former Mandarin San Francisco did just that. This hotel provided us the opportunity to enter into San Francisco for the first time and also build upon the Loews Regency brand.”
Looking to the future, Tisch says that “we will carefully look at top 10 RevPAR markets to build hotels as the strategic opportunity arises and also for us to acquire hotels that currently offer a luxury experience and that align with the attributes of both our hotels in New York and San Francisco.”
For clients heading to the Big Apple, the Loews Regency New York is offering the Park Avenue Pied-a-terre package, inspired by Marilyn Monroe and her experiences in the city. It includes accommodations in the Glamour or Pop Art Signature Suite, a private shopping outing at Bloomingdales, blow-out at the Julien Farel Restore Salon & Spa, a curated guide to Marilyn Monroe’s haunts and landmarks from her films for a self-guided walking tour, and other goodies. Rates start at $1,119 per night and are valid through Sept. 7, 2015. loewshotels.com or loewshotels.com/travel-professionals-en.html
