Consistency Key for Successful Hotel Branding

NEW YORK CITY-Branding continues to remain a hot topic in the hotel sector and is much more than a name or logo. According to lodging experts, it’s about a narrative, a relationship and a promise. Tuesday morning’s sessions at New York University’s 30th anniversary International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, held at the Waldorf Astoria, focused on the business of hotel branding, and attracted lodging finance, development and investment leaders from around the world.

In an interview with Jonathan Tisch, chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels, Frits Van Paasschen, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.’s new CEO, told the audience that so much of building a brand in the lodging industry has to do with “repeat great experiences.” When a consumer buys into a powerful brand, they are buying into a set of values, he said.

He explained that a brand allows for customer recognition, repeat business and word-of-mouth marketing, but he says that although you can spread the message of a brand, “you have to be able to back it up.” The challenge, he said, is to maintain reliability globally, which can only be done with local teams in place.