GLOBAL UPDATE : BRANDING
Experience required
Looking to clearly communicate its
The Starwood Experience includes a two-wall Showcase of company initiatives such as Global Sales Optimization and Global Citizenship as well as a Brand Storytelling exhibit that highlight ’ s each brand ’ s experiences and design direction . commitment to both design and its brands , Starwood has launched the multifaceted “ Starwood Experience ” at its new headquarters .
By Ann Bagel Storck , managing editor
At its former corporate headquarters in White Plains , New York , Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide had a problem .
“ Our old office space was certainly functional space , but you could walk into the lobby and , frankly , you could have been in a financial services company or a consulting firm ,” says Simon Turner , president , global development , for Starwood .
So when the company moved to its new headquarters in Stamford , Connecticut , it wanted the space to communicate clearly to visitors — particularly owners and developers — Starwood ’ s identity , especially its emphasis on design and its nine brands . Consequently , the company created what it dubs “ The Starwood Experience ,” a portion of its headquarters that spans two floors .
Designed by Starwood in conjunction with HOK and Jump Studios out of London , it includes everything from an LED wall to a modern sculpture to model guestrooms .
“ When you walk into the space and you look around , it breathes everything about Starwood — global , multiple brands , innovative , forwardthinking , design-led — it conveys that ,” Turner explains . “ What this allows us to do is bring to life the importance of design and talk not in the abstract , but with live examples .”
“ We can pull examples out of some of the things that are important to us from a brand-building standpoint ,” adds Mike Tiedy , Starwood ’ s senior vice president of design and innovation . “ It makes it more personal , and you start to feel like you can touch the brands — that you ’ re experiencing it .”
Design-led , brand-led As visitors enter the space , they immediately notice a large LED wall in the reception area highlighting new hotel openings and other Starwood headlines , which can be updated weekly or even daily . “ It is kind of screaming at you , but it ’ s screaming at you in almost an artistic manner ,” Tiedy says .
The reception area also features the Global Gallery showcasing Starwood properties around the world .
Walking upstairs , overhead is a sculpture embodying the star in Starwood ’ s logo that has burst into many pieces , representing the various elements of The Starwood Experience . On the second floor , visitors first walk through the Starwood Preferred Guest ( SPG ) Tunnel , which spotlights different parts of the company ’ s
14 HOTELS December 2012 www . hotelsmag . com