Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has launched Starwood Global Access, a comprehensive rate programme dedicated to mid-sized corporations, with executives and associates travelling within a given region of the world or globally to any Starwood destination.
A corporation contracting a minimum of 50 room-nights annually at one Starwood hotel and with the potential to stay another 50 room-nights annually in any other Starwood hotel worldwide, will qualify for Starwood Global Access and its dedicated preferential rates. Starwood Global Access will also entitle travelling executives and associates of the qualifying corporations to be enrolled and upgraded to Starwood Preferred Guest Corporate Preferred level membership. Corporate Preferred benefits include: 4 pm late check-out, personalised check-in, preferred room upgrade and a dedicated toll free number. In addition, by being part of Starwood Global Access, the corporation will receive one Starwood Preferred Guest Gold Preferred level membership, giving additional benefits above and beyond those of the Corporate Preferred level. "We will be targeting 2,500 companies around the world, 700 of which are located in Europe, Africa and Middle East and we expect this programme to generate at least $100 million in room revenues in 2003 worldwide," according to Paul Tribolet, senior vice-president, director of marketing and F&B for Europe, Africa and Middle East for Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. "The discounts offered at our hotels for members of Global Access can be up to 40 per cent off Rack Rates, unmatched in the industry for the types of companies we are targeting. Global Access has enormous potential for aligning Starwood's regional and global hotel network to the corporate world by addressing the needs of mid-sized companies," said Jirayr Kececian, director of marketing for Starwood Hotels and Resorts in Africa and Middle East.