Growing local footprint boosts Starwood sales
A recent burst of new property announcements in Australia for Starwood has translated into a rise in local interest in its portfolio of brands, the hotel giant has revealed.
The hotel firm comprises St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Le Méridien, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft, and Element. It has a rapidly growing Australian footprint, with it most recently announcing the addition of a Four Points by Sheraton property in Melbourne's Docklands to its portfolio, to open in January 2017.
Speaking to Travel Today at the 2014 Starwood Australian Expo, senior vice president sales Asia Pacific Alison Taylor confirmed that Australian sales were above budget which was partly due to the increase in local activity.
“The domestic market for us is very strong, so any increase in product here means increased interest,” she said. “And they’re not just interested in Pacific product but also in what we’re doing in Asia and even more long-haul as well.”
Outbound sales from Australia for the Asia Pacific region have surged 10% in the last year, Talor revealed. Domestic is also "very robust" with accupancies are "north of 90%" in Sydney and Melbourne.
Taylor said that external third party market research carried out by analysts STR Global had found that the company is trading “well above fair market share” in Australia.
“That’s how we gauge our success,” she said.
Loyalty programs have played a key role in delivering growth, as has the importance that Starwood places on its trade relationships. The company continues to build on relationships with its trade customers, with the distribution channel accounting for 70% of its overall business.
“That number is going up, it’s not decreasing as others may have predicted,” she said. “Our objective is to be the easiest company to do business with for our b2b operators.”
Vice president global leisure and luxury sales Chris Austin revealed that Australian trade customers are among the most engaged with its brands globally.
“For our pro-learning education modules, Australia ranks third for the highest number of graduates after the US and Canada,” he said. “That shows that we really have a very loyal business to business customer partnership here – it’s very strong”.
Latest News
Celebrity Cruises sets sail from Canaveral for the first time
Celebrity Cruises has brought its premium holiday experiences to Port Canaveral, Florida, offering even more ways to escape to the Caribbean. Guests can now enjoy Caribbean escapes on Celebrity Equinox with seven-night sailings to tropical destinations including The Bahamas, St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, Belize, and more. With the addition of Port Canaveral, Celebrity Cruises now offers […]
ATIA secures skilled migration win with inclusion of consultants, agency managers and tour guides
The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) has secured a significant win, with the inclusion of travel consultants, travel agency managers and tour guides as eligible occupations for skilled migration on the Federal Government’s Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). These inclusions mark a significant milestone for Australia’s travel industry. Until now, travel consultants and tour guides […]
International Disability Day wrap up
More inclusive travel makes sense for all sorts of reasons.
Newcastle Airport gears up for global takeoff with 2025 Airport Roundtable
Why bother with Sydney, Newky's getting ready for its own international terminal in August.
LATAM adds additional service on Melbourne to Santiago route
For Melburnians wanting a break from four seasons in one day, Santiago is now an even easier hop thanks to Latam.
China Airlines launches inaugural service between Melbourne and Auckland
A big push by Asian airlines into Australia hopefully means cheaper connections to China and surrounds. Yum cha time!
TravelManagers wraps 2024 with festive fun and state strategy meetings
Is it a Christmas party or a corporate retreat? TravelManagers does both!
TFE Hotels announces renovation of the Adina Town Hall Sydney
Sydney for work? Then this is the place to be. Still getting our head around Adina's Hotel Pentridge Melbourne.
An event producer’s take on Alma Resort – the ultimate MICE destination
The state-of-the-art Alma Resort has been rapidly gaining recognition for its world-class facilities and is now turning its focus to attract the Australian market, a key player in the global MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sector. Rebecca Perrier reports. Nestled along Vietnam’s picturesque southern coastline, the vibrant Alma Resort in Cam Ranh stands as […]
APT Travel Group’s new Melbourne HQ sets stage for future growth
Almost 100 years as a tour operator makes us feel very new to the travel trade.
Tonight is the night! Industry braces for the 2024 Women in Travel Awards
We are so excited we could literally scream. Okay we are doing it, we are screaming!!!
Cairns Airport flying high for festive season
For a little airport there is a lot going on here as we recently discovered. Mark the next Traveldaze in your diary.
TravelManagers’ Danielle Goncalves on falling in love with Bali in 5 days
TravelManagers’ Danielle Goncalves can confirm that five days is more than enough time to fall in love with Bali. Goncalves was one of seven personal travel managers (PTMs) to visit the iconic destination with Hoot Holidays on their annual ‘Hoot Legends’ famil. As a longtime supporter of Hoot Holidays (a sister company to TravelManagers Australia), […]
Buckle up: Comedian Kevin Hart stars in new Qatar Airways in-flight safety video
As Kevin Hart talks about 100 miles an hour, we had to listen twice to take all this in.
Jetstar connects travellers in Cairns and the Sunshine coast for the first time
The kind of route Bonza was hoping to make its own... The Jetstar staff even have the purple dress codes to match!
Emirates renews Australian Open support with five-year commitment to tennis down under
Sure, five years is a big commitment, but think of all the free tickets Emirates' movers and shakers will be able snag!
Helloworld Travel Frontliners Forum wraps up in Singapore
The conference was held at Marina Bay Sands. We'd have got no work done and spent the week in the infinity pool.
The DARWIN200 conservation mission sails into Hobart
The DARWIN200 conservation mission aboard the Dutch tall ship Oosterschelde sailed into Hobart ahead of a programme of conservation projects. The Oosterschelde set sail from Plymouth Harbour, UK, in August 2023 on an epic two-year planetary conservation mission retracing Charles Darwin’s voyage of the Beagle and training 200 young environmentalists along the way. The aim was to inspire […]
ATIA safeguards members financial details ahead of FY24 accreditation-renewal period
We didn't think the ATIA crew would have fallen for those dodgy phone scammers, but now we're positive they won't!
Luna Park back in the hands of local owners after 20 years
That face may be iconic, but it doesn't stop it being scary AF.
Hong Kong hosts first-ever Leaders of Luxury
If you've visited HK, you'll know there's no shortage of lux shopping, but now they have the summit to match!
Philippines’ Department of Tourism launches its first dive experience
One to check out if you are a keen diver! See you under the water.
50 Degrees North unveils new tour maximising opportunities to see Northern Lights
We get the Australis Borealis down under, but the chances of catching it are akin to that of the Loch Ness Monster!
Spain becomes latest country to demand more information from tourists
What about the good old days where you could just travel around and lie about your identity? Or was that just us...
Telstra study shows that more than half of Aussies lack emergency plan
Apparently, screaming and praying doesn't count as a 'plan'.
TFE Hotels opens New Zealand Country Office
A big deal has been done across the ditch. We hope you read that in a Kiwi accent.
Qatar Airways ushers in F1 themed onboard offerings
Qatar's doing its best to give you the full Drive to Survive experience at 30,000 feet.
Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon draws over 55,000 participants
Given our performance at the City to Surf this year, we're not going to be adding to the numbers at the next marathon.
Quantum of the Seas returns to Brisbane this summer packed full of family fun
It's all fun and games on Quantum... And food... And drink... And everything else your family is looking for!
Become a France expert with Atout France and win a dream weekend escape
Whether you are a fan of escargot, or prefer a pain au chocolate, this experience ticks all the boxes.
Accor takes out accommodation chain of the year for third consecutive year
That's a hatrick for Accor, something the Aussie cricket team will be hoping to avoid in the second match against India!
Existing investors pick up Hurtigruten for €500M
If we had a cool €500M laying around, a cruise line would be our investment of choice too.
Jetstar launches cyber Monday sale with Sydney to Byron from $35
If you're still sat at your desk and not on a flight to Byron, then what are you doing with your life?
The Aussie holiday hotspot where airline ticket fraud is 2.5x more likely
Double check that ticket before you click on the 'buy' button.
GALLERY: Travel industry gathers in Sydney for Moana 2 screening
We know this event certainly helped the mums and dads of the travel industry earn some brownie points.
G Adventures reveals 2025 ‘Where to Travel’ list
If you needed any inspo on where to travel in 2025, then this is the list for you!