�This is the most aggressive renovation program in Sheraton�s history,� according to Barry Sternlicht, chairman of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., Sheraton�s parent company. �We�re trying to build a distinctive brand image. It�s about Sheraton being all-American and traditional.�

In a strategic move to strengthen the brand, Sheraton already has introduced the new style guestroom in more than 5,000 hotel rooms, and is in the process of adding another 9,000 �new� rooms.

�Our customers told us they wanted a hotel room that felt more like a private home,� explains Richard Martini, senior vice president of design and construction for Starwood. �That, coupled with our research on what products are being requested in the retail market, led to the evolution of the new rooms, which were designed for both work and rest.� Sternlicht explains, �We want the Sheraton customer to come into the room and say, �Wow! What a great, comfortable room. What a surprise! And I only paid �x� for this! That�s a great deal.� These renovations will mean more satisfied customers. It�s that simple.�

Sleigh Beds Reflect New Sheraton Style

The focal point of new Sheraton brand room is the sleigh bed, complemented by ergonomic chairs and, what Martini calls �mammoth� workspace. The rooms, which blend classic style with functional workspace, are the creation of an in-house team spearheaded by Martini and Tiffany Bowling, director of design for the Sheraton brand.

�We wanted to give guests the same quality of furnishing they would have in their own home, or better,� says Martini. �That means real wood�without plastic laminate tops - comfortable pillow-top mattresses and inviting seating, instead of uncomfortable foam chairs.� Sheraton�s new rooms feature rich, jewel-tone colors�chosen over traditional earth tones - giving the room the feel of a private club or country lodge. To add to the elegance, designers selected floor-to-ceiling velvet drapes that run the entire length of the wall.  

The design elements don�t end there. To improve the Sheraton product, the team evaluated every component of the guestroom - from coffee cups and wastebaskets to pillows and ice buckets - eliminating products that didn�t fit the new Sheraton image.  �We want to become the business traveler�s home away from home,� says John Greenleaf, vice president of Sheraton brand management. �We are confident that this design change, combined with Sheraton�s new service standards, will give the hotel group a competitive edge.  The Sheraton Boston Hotel, one of the hotel group�s flagship properties, was the first of 31 to undergo complete renovation and, according to Sheraton officials, customer response to the $75 million refurbishment has been positive.

�The reaction to the new rooms has been phenomenal,� says Larry Trainor, area managing director for Starwood. �We�re receiving unsolicited comments from guests at check-out raving about the comfort of our beds. They�re also telling us they like the fact that the room can serve as a place to rest and a place to work.�

�More extraordinary than that, though, are our overall guest loyalty and satisfaction scores,� adds Trainor. �Independent research received from a recognized market research firm shows significant increases in our guest satisfaction index (GSI), which measures the guest experience, and a whopping 24% increase in the guest loyalty metric that measures the guest�s experience and the intention to recommend the hotel and return for another stay.� �Cleanliness ratings have also skyrocketed since renovation,� says Trainor. �New rooms are perceived to be cleaner by the guest and we�ve already seen a 16% increase in the guest perception of hotel cleanliness and maintenance as a result of renovation, placing us among the highest rated Starwood properties.�

Travelers who want to experience the �new Sheraton� will find the sleigh bed rooms at hotels in California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia this year. 
 

Millions in Renovations

Other Sheraton properties are being upgraded and renovated this year, too. A new resort room will be installed at the Sheraton Bal Harbour Beach Resort in Miami, and the Sheraton Denver Tech Center in Colorado will get a new look.

Sheraton�s renovation projects have improved nearly half of its total room inventory of owned, managed and leased hotels in the U.S.  and includes newly renovated rooms, which preceded the current sleigh bed design.
 

Sheraton Hotels and Resorts has more than 370 hotels in 67 countries and is the largest brand of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Starwood, through its St. Regis, Luxury Collection, Westin, Sheraton, Four Points and W brands, is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 700 hotels in 80 countries and 120,000 employees at its owned and managed properties.