The decision in the last few days by Starwood to launch a
promotion offering between double and quadruple Starwood Preferred Guest
(SPG) points for stays is a clear indicator of the challenges the
business hotel sector is facing.
Like all business hotel groups, the hotel company which counts the Sheraton,
W, Westin and Aloft brands under its umbrella, has suffered huge drops in
occupancy in the past year.
Under the terms of the deal, guests who stay two nights get double points,
those who stay three nights get triple points and those who stay four or
more nights get quadruple points.
The promotion, which runs until 15 April, makes the decision
by Hilton to raise the number of Hhonors points to get free rooms seem
more out of step with reality.
Business travellers have had to put up with ever increasing hotel rates and
difficulties in getting rooms in busy cities at busy times for years and it
is time to reward those guests who have been loyal in the good times.
With a recovery potentially around the corner – 35% of company travel buyers
in a survey of 1,400 for the Business Travel and Meetings Show said they
expected to book more trips in 2010 than 2009 – hotel chains should remember
that business travellers have long memories.
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