¶ … luxury hotel brands, Starwood's W. Hotels and the flagship brand at Four Seasons. From a brand perspective, the two are actually quite different. The W. brand is positioned as modern, hip and aspirational, while Four Seasons is positioned as an older, more established luxury. W is positioned with what it terms "iconic design and contemporary luxury" -- meaning lots of neon and funky furniture designs -- with glamor at the heart of its offering. The target market for W. clearly skews younger, and with a nightlife orientation, bringing out the rock star aspirational connotations. The Four Seasons reflects what it terms "dedication to perfecting the travel experience" to the point where it offers a round-the-world luxury jet trip as a brand extension. It is expected that these substantial brand differences will be reflected in the in-hotel experience as well.
The two do not differ too much with respect to the check-in expectations. In the luxury segment, check-in should be flawless, with service from the minute you enter the property. Doors should be opened and someone should help with the luggage. The check-in process itself should be streamlined, especially if you have a reservation. You should never have to wait for the room to be ready. Customers of both hotels will different on their leisure and lifestyle preferences, but they do not differ much with respect to service expectations. Check-in...
In some cases, it is the only direct interaction the hotel might have, so it is imperative that the hotel staff build the relationship at this time. This is where the differences between the two customer bases will become more apparent. While the staff will be able to assist with the basic hotel services and amenities, W staff should have a slightly hipper approach. They should be able to recommend nightclubs, for example, or modern restaurants, while Four Seasons staff might be less equipped for such things. The lifestyle preferences of the customer bases should be more apparent at this stage, with the tone and content of assistance, but the standard of assistance at either hotel should be very high.
Loyalty programs are a key differentiator between hotel brands. The W. brand is relatively young, and Starwood is still building out its portfolio of properties. Its loyalty program is known as Starwood Preferred Guests (SPG). The program, therefore, is available across all Starwood brands, which helps when someone is in a city where there is no W. hotel. Starwood has a number of cheaper brands for global coverage (Sheraton, Westin, etc.) but…
