NEW YORK—Executives with Marriott International believe they’ve found the formula to revitalize the Sheraton brand, seizing on an approach that emphasizes across-the-board quality and reimagining the brand’s approach to public spaces.
Speaking to Hotel News Now during the first day of the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, Noah Silverman, Marriott’s chief development officer for North American full-service hotels, said efforts to turn around Sheraton began almost immediately following the acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
“The Sheraton brand is obviously a significant brand within the Starwood legacy portfolio,” he said. “And it probably was a brand that became a real focus early for us.”
external
|
The company announced a new Sheraton guestroom late in 2017. Now it is unveiling a more robust public space concept, including a focus on collaborative spaces and adaptive spaces, that officials hope will spur greater growth for the brand, which has 450 properties open and 80 more in the pipeline.
Silverman acknowledged this isn’t the first time the larger investment community is hearing about plans to revamp Sheraton, but he believes Marriott’s strong track record will inspire confidence.
“In fairness, there’s probably a decent amount of skepticism,” he said. “I think those that know Marriott International particularly well and have seen us do this with other brands in the past probably put a little bit more faith in our ability to be successful in doing this with Sheraton this time around.”
A news release announcing the revitalization strategy noted 6,000 rooms have been removed from the brand since September 2016 with another 2,000 expected to depart by the end of 2018. For the same period, 5,000 new rooms have been signed.
Watch the video below for more on the Sheraton transformation efforts, including footage of the company’s 4,200-square-foot build out in Times Squares replicating the brand’s new public space concepts.