64
the World Of Hospitality
Starwood’s
An Indie Darling: Tribute Portfolio
Sees Impressive First Year, Doubling
Growth Projections And Reaching
20 Hotels Globally
Starwood’s 10th Brand Debuts in China with New
Signing in Shanghai
Brand Grows Footprint in Florida with
Additions in Tampa and Sarasota
STAMFORD, CT – Tribute Portfolio, a collection
of independent hotels and resorts from Starwood
Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT),
today announced three new signings, bringing the
brand’s footprint to 20 properties worldwide, exactly
double the original growth projection for its first year.
Continuing to global expansion with its first-ever
property in China and continuing to expand in
Florida with signings in Tampa and Sarasota, Tribute
Portfolio maintains its steadfast position as having
the fastest takeoff of any Starwood brand, ever, while
also celebrating its individuality through innovative
social media and brand partnership strategies. With
a long runway to grow, Tribute Portfolio continues to
add exceptional properties around the globe that offer
guests and owners the ability to “Stay Independent.”
From the Bustling City of Shanghai to the
Sunny Coast of Florida
With momentum steadily building for the one year old
brand, Tribute Portfolio once again answers consumer
demand with the addition of three properties in
Shanghai, Sarasota and Tampa. When surveying
Starwood Preferred Guest® (SPG) Members, the brand
found that 62% would be very interested in staying at
a Tribute Portfolio hotel in Shanghai. Answering this
call, Tribute Portfolio will expand its footprint in Asia
by adding a property in the cosmopolitan Chinese city.
Members also told the brand that beach destinations
remain at the top of their list, particularly in Florida.
As a result, the brand will open an additional two new
properties in the Sunshine State: a 323-room hotel in
Tampa, and The Sarasota Modern, a Tribute Portfolio
Hotel, in Sarasota.
Giving Guests -- And Owners --
What They Want
From boutique resorts to urban destination properties,
Tribute Portfolio gives guests access to outstanding
upper upscale hotels with an independent spirit, all
while benefitting from the award- winning SPG®
program. Built and fueled by consumer preferences,
Tribute Portfolio carves out its distinction in the
category through its close collaboration with the SPG
community.
I expect the brand’s global expansion to continue
accelerating way beyond the most optimistic of
forecasts.”
“The independent hotel segment has continued to
grow exponentially, with consumers increasingly
desiring travel to hotels and resorts that don’t fall
under a cookie-cutter brand,” said Dave Marr, Global
Brand Leader, Tribute Portfolio. “This trend, coupled
with the strength and support of our owner and
developer community, has contributed to the meteoric
growth of the brand and its continued success as we
enter our second year.”
Shifting focus from being the expert on the
destination, Tribute Portfolio instead elevates the
notion that guests seek out independent hotels because
the hotels themselves can be the destination. To
Tribute Portfolio debuted in April 2015 with its first
hotel, the Royal Palm South Beach Miami, and has
since opened eight additional properties: the Great
Northern Hotel in London, UK; The Kiroro Resort
in Hokkaido, Japan; The Hermitage in Jakarta,
Indonesia; the SLS Las Vegas in Las Vegas, NV; The
Riviera Palm Springs in Palm Springs, CA; Avenue of
the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA; and Le Dokhan’s and Le
Metropolitan, both in Paris. Future locations include
Coral Gables, FL; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Tampa, FL;
Sarasota, FL; Asheville, NC; Nashville, Tennessee;
Savannah, GA; Charleston, SC; Denver, CO; Shanghai,
China; and Quebec City, Canada.
With flexibility and individuality at its core, Tribute
Portfolio has also struck a chord with the owner/
developer community, enabling them to maintain
their independent spirit, while benefiting from
Starwood’s powerful distribution, loyalty and
sales platforms.
“The rapid rate of growth that Tribute Portfolio has
achieved comes as no surprise, combining Starwood’s
robust sales, marketing and loyalty programs with the
flair and individualism of the independent boutique
hotelier,” said Jeremy Robson, Owner-Operator, Great
Northern Hotel, London. “I am delighted that Great
Northern Hotel is now part of the Tribute Portfolio
franchise, and the abundant positive feedback we
get from our customers indicates they feel the same.
Website: www.tributeportfolio.com.
Reaching Socially Connected, IndependentMinded Travelers
capture this, each Tribute Portfolio property features
a noteworthy selection of #independentmoments:
distinct design details and experiences that illustrate
what guests love about “staying independent.” In
addition, Tribute Portfolio is the first hotel brand
to partner with consumer shopping service,
LIKEtoKNOW.it, enabling travelers to translate their
wanderlust into room bookings at two of the Tribute
Portfolio brand’s newest hotels – Le Metropolitan
and Le Dokhan’s – directly by “liking” a photo on
Instagram. Finally, the brand also launched a new
partnership with Pitchfork that will bring unique
pop-up music activations to several Tribute Portfolio
properties worldwide, exposing guests to emerging
artists and established pioneers who apply a true
independent mindset to their musical craft, regardless
of genre.