Bangkok--29 Apr--Starwood Hotels & Resorts
As the economy grows, so does the travel industry, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Thailand is putting on the full sales and marketing blitz to leverage the strength and variety across its eight brands. Recently, sales associates from Starwood’s 16 properties in Thailand embarked on a sales blitz with visits to professional convention planners, government agencies, embassies, universities, corporate event planners and travel agents to highlight Starwood’s new portfolio of hotels, the new online meetings and events management tools, and other incentive programs to encourage businesses and clients to utilize Starwood’s brands to help them grow their own businesses.
"After a year of challenges in Thailand, we are beginning to see bright spots in all segments of the travel industry and this is a great time for our teams to get back on the road and encourage influencers to travel again," said James Ramage, Regional Director of Sales and Marketing for Starwood Hotels & Resorts — Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. “Across all industries, our clients are looking to grow profitability and drive up their bottom line. That means getting back on the road, traveling for business and hosting and attending meetings. We all know that the face-to-face meeting remains the most effective way to close sales and to grow relationships.”
Over the past year, Starwood has opened 20 new hotels across all its brands in Asia, which have included the introduction of three of its brands in Thailand. These include the W Retreat Koh Samui; the Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok, Sukhumvit 15; and the St. Regis Bangkok. In October, 2011, Starwood will introduce its newest brand in Bangkok, the Aloft Bangkok Sukhumvit 11, making Thailand the second market in Asia Pacific to have the representation of eight out of nine Starwood hotel brands. In addition, Starwood’s first hotel in Thailand: Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers, which originally opened in 1983, recently completed a major renovation that includes its guestrooms, public areas and restaurants.
Starwood currently operates 16 hotels in Thailand, including four Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, two Westin Hotels & Resorts, six Le Meridien hotels, one Four Points by Sheraton hotel, one W hotel, one Luxury Collection hotel and the recent St Regis Bangkok. By 2015, eight new properties will come online in Thailand.
To attract new business customers and reinforce and expand relationships with existing clients, sales associates will demonstrate the recently updated www.StarwoodMeetings.com, which offers Starwood’s two new proprietary online meeting planning tools StarGroups and Reservation Connection. The free services — a first for the industry — make meeting planning more convenient, user-friendly and cost efficient by providing a seamless interaction between meeting organizers, their clients and guests, and Starwood’s event management system.
In addition, to drive awareness of the diversity and quality across Starwood’s brands, sales associates will demonstrate key signature elements in meetings and tradeshows. This will include bringing a St. Regis Butler to personify the bespoke services and unparalleled amenities offered by the luxury brand, as well as models from the W, Starwood’s forward-thinking brand that is setting the latest trends for fashion, design and entertainment.