At Starwood Hotels
and Resorts, we’ve always believed in the value of Travel Agents,
and our quest is to continue to expand business with the best of
you. In fact, we’re changing our internal and external reference to
this market to reflect the forward direction in which we want this
relationship to move. We now refer to Travel Agents as Travel
Professionals, as a way to reinforce our understanding of your
business and our desire to do business with the most professional
among you.
In the fall, we launched a new website, www.StarwoodPro.com, as the first phase of Starwood
Travel Professional Program, our renewed face to the Travel
Professional community. Differentiated by content and a visual and
written language, the site extends our dialog with you, the Travel
Professional, providing online tools and information to facilitate
your growing business.
Starwood recognizes that travelers are increasingly turning to
Travel Professionals for the personal relationship and a trusted
source of information. Founded on five pillarsAccess, Knowledge,
Rewards, Compensation and CommunicationStarwoodPro.com establishes
a sophisticated, user-friendly interface between Starwood and
Travel Professionals. StarwoodPro.com delivers easily accessible
content on deals, rates, product, commissions and sales contacts,
plus comprehensive hotel and brand information. Event details and
news about ongoing program enhancements and content development
will also be available.
Building StarwoodPro.com and the additional elements of our new
StarwoodPro program is a collaborative effort, requiring
significant commitment from stakeholders throughout the Starwood
organization. As a company, we are embracing the significant value
of you and your customers to all of our internal stakeholders.
Among many features debuting throughout 2008 are enhancements to
the website, educational and loyalty components that will provide
continued opportunities to strengthen our partnership with you and
match the right branded hotel experience with the right guest at
our 850-plus properties in more than 95 countries.
Starwood Hotels is
a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and
resorts with internationally renowned brands including St. Regis®,
The Luxury Collection®, Sheraton®, Westin®, Four Points® by
Sheraton, W®, Le Méridien® and, premiering in 2008, the recently
announced AloftSM and ElementSM hotels.
Through our brands, we are well represented in most major
markets around the globe. We are one of the world's largest hotel
and leisure companies. We conduct our hotel and leisure business
both directly and through our external subsidiaries. Starwood
Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the
premier developers and operators of high-quality vacation interval
ownership resorts.
Starwood has defined our strategy to become a global branded
lifestyle hospitality company as driven by our brands. We operate
hotels in the Luxury, Upper Upscale, Upscale and Select Service
categories. Each of our nine world-class brands has a distinct
positioning with signature programming and service initiatives that
bring it to life. Although our hotels and resorts may all be
architecturally different on the outside, each hotel or resort
within the brand builds an emotional connection with guests.
Designed to provide Travel Professionals with an opportunity to
visit and gain first-hand knowledge about Starwood properties
worldwide, our Travel Professional Education Program (TAED) offers
Travel Professional rates for some of the world's most celebrated
brands.
TA rates are 50% off rack rates at participating hotels. TAED
rates start from $39 (or equivalent in local currency) for Westin,
Sheraton, Four Points, Le Méridien and W Hotels, and from $139 for
St. Regis and The Luxury Collection hotels. Offering special
discounts on recognizable brands is another example of how Starwood
supports Travel Professionals. Reservations for the TA and TAED
programs can be made via the GDS or through one of our Worldwide
Reservations Offices.
An enhanced Travel Professional learning and development program
is on the horizon, and that will be coupled with new ways to
experience our properties. A Starwood loyalty program is also
forthcoming. Check www.StarwoodPro.com often for updates on these exciting
enhancements.
Also, remember that when your customers become a part of the
most award-winning loyalty program, Starwood Preferred Guest®, they
will benefit from more resorts than any other frequent guest
program, including 14 resorts in Hawaii. They will reach free
nights faster than with most programs and, with no blackout dates
or availability restrictions, they can enjoy their free nights
whenever they want. Visit www.spg.com for more information.
Join us today at www.StarwoodPro.com and continue to find the best
options for your customers and the best decisions for your
business. In North America, our dedicated Travel Professional
number is 800-334-8484.