Hotels

Category Archives for Hotels.

$500 Million to Fix Lagging Sheratons

by Gary Leff

hotel bed
Jun 06 2018

Three years ago Starwood announced a $100 million effort to revitalize the Sheraton brand. This was mostly about marketing investment, but they made some tweaks using the Sheraton ‘Grand’ moniker and a carrot and stick approach with fees and incentives, to try to get hotel owners to invest in their properties.

They promised to improve the offerings in club lounges, improve hotel design, and bring on new properties. This was back when the chain was still trying to grow on its own even though the board had largely decided to sell.

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New Members Booking Through Expedia Still Get Hyatt Place Breakfast – Globalists Will Not

by Gary Leff

hotel breakfast food
Jun 05 2018

This tells me they’re thinking about their strategy against online booking sites, rather than thinking about their customers. If someone spends 55 nights or more a year (or spends over $20,000) with Hyatt they’re a valuable customer every time they walk through the door.

If a top tier elite books through Expedia because the rate was lower, or because the hotel was sold out on the Hyatt site but still available at GetARoom they’re demonstrating their loyalty. Treating them less well than a first time guest simply makes no sense.

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Hyatt Place Ending Free Breakfast for Non-Members and Extending Early Check-in to Explorists

by Gary Leff

hotel breakfast food
Jun 04 2018

Hyatt’s biggest challenge is scale. They have 10% the footprint of Marriott, which makes it hard for guests to stay loyal. Their coverage doesn’t meet all guests’ needs, and it’s often necessary to stay at a less convenient property in order to stick with Hyatt. As a result the program needs to work harder — give guests a reason to go out of their way — to be loyal Hyatt customers.

These are the major challenges faced by the chain. They’re announcing changes at Hyatt Place which largely do not address these challenges.

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Marriott Courtyards, AC Hotels, and Moxy Aren’t Included in Free Elite Breakfast After All

by Gary Leff

hotel food
Jun 01 2018

We were promised these hotel brands would offer Platinum breakfast benefits. They don’t. They offer a food and beverage credit, which can be used any time during a stay.

That credit won’t cover breakfast at all of their properties, but the news isn’t as bad as it appeared at first — Marriott is updating their chart, which suggested the credit would be only once per stay rather than once per day (for the member and guest).

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New Hyatt Promotion for Grand and Regency Brands: 2500 Points Every 5 Nights

by Gary Leff

hyatt hotel
Jun 01 2018

Hyatt is offering 2500 points every 5 qualifying nights at Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency hotels starting today through checkouts August 31. That’s not very strong.

Hotels are full and room rates are up, the effect of last year’s hurricane season notwithstanding we should hit all time records for 2018. And that’s why hotel marketing programs aren’t spending a lot to put heads in beds — there aren’t many empty beds out there to start with.

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Hyatt Changes How Suite Upgrades Expire, Here’s How to Really Fix World of Hyatt

by Gary Leff

hotel office
Jun 01 2018

Hyatt is extending the validity of the suite upgrade awards members already have through February 28 of the year following when they’re earned . The same applies for the four club lounge access awards given to Explorists each year.

Over the last six months Hyatt has been fixing some of the pain points in their new program. At the end of 2018 they announced free night awards for achieving status would last 180 days instead of 120, and award nights would count towards status.

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Review: Park Hyatt Tokyo

by Gary Leff

cityscape through hotel window
May 28 2018

The Park Hyatt Tokyo is a great value property for Hyatt’s top tier elites. I used a confirmed suite upgrade and got nice value from breakfast which can be taken in the restaurant or via room service (or both). I enjoyed the complimentary happy hour for top elites as the sun set.

This is a property that appeals to me emotionally because years ago I really enjoyed Bill Murray in Lost in Translation, much of which takes place inside of this hotel.

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