STARWOOD HOTELS INTRODUCES TRIBUTE PORTFOLIO

By: Christian Stan | 18 April, 2015

With a firm focus on four star, upper upscale hotels, Tribute Portfolio will complement Starwood’s The Luxury Collection brand and further solidify Starwood as the world’s most global high-end hotel company.

The brand made its debut this week with its first featured hotel, the iconic Royal Palm South Beach Miami and will soon open new hotels in Asheville, North Carolina, Nashville, Tennessee, Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina.

Starwood’s goal is to have 100 Tribute Portfolio hotels and resorts over the next five years.  Initial focus on growth of this new brand will be in North America and Europe, and travelers can expect to see Tribute Portfolio properties in global markets within the first year.

“Nearly 50% of upper upscale hotels in the U.S. are independent, and likewise, 60% of four star hotels globally are not affiliated with a brand flag. This provides Starwood with a vast landscape to grow Tribute Portfolio,” said Dave Marr, Senior Vice President of Brand Management, North America and Global Brand Leader for Tribute Portfolio.  “In speaking with many owners, it is clear that they welcome the opportunity to partner with Starwood to enhance the performance of their independent hotels.  They are attracted to the benefits that will come from the power of SPG and our high-end Starwood sales customers coupled with the flexibility of minimal brand specific standards.”

Starwood’s The Luxury Collection, the hotel industry’s original “collection brand,” featuring some of the world’s most iconic independent luxury hotels, is in the midst of its most prolific growth spurt in its 21-year history.  In the last decade, The Luxury Collection brand has tripled its footprint, growing more than 60% in the last five years alone.