Westin's Heavenly Bed Celebrates One-Year Anniversary with Success:
Three Beds Sold Everyday Through Heavenly Bed Hotline
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Guests are enjoying Westin's
Heavenly Bed so much, they're literally taking it home with them. According
to Westin's parent company, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
(NYSE: HOT), after being introduced only one year ago, customer demand for the
bed has skyrocketed to the point where the Heavenly Bed hotline (877-777-5418)
has been flooded with calls. To meet this demand, a four-color Heavenly Bed
catalog will debut in Westin guestrooms this fall. To date, more than 1,000
Heavenly Beds have been sold, and over 2,500 orders have been placed for the
beds various components.
"I finally decided to buy a Heavenly Bed because it seemed less expensive
than moving into a Westin hotel," wrote one California guest about a recent
stay. Another guest who stayed at The Westin Los Angeles Airport recently
wrote "We enjoyed the bed so much, we tried to get it in the car, but it
wouldn't fit." When Sacramento Kings backup forward-center Scot Pollard was
asked what was one of his three favorite things, he replied "the beds at The
Westin Indianapolis. Three words: like a womb" (Sports Illustrated, April 10,
2000). One gentleman recently wrote on a guest comment card, "I need a
customer service person -- you destroyed my life because you put my wife in
one of your beds, and now she can't live without one." Even former
Presidential candidate Bill Bradley stated "the bed is incredible" after his
stay at The Westin Seattle.
Since the launch of the Heavenly Bed one year ago, overall guest loyalty
and satisfaction scores have increased dramatically.
"A recent survey of guests at hotels that feature the Heavenly Bed showed
a 5% increase in our guest satisfaction index (GSI), which measures the guests
experience," says Sue Brush, vice president, marketing, Westin Hotels &
Resorts. "Not only are our guests getting a better night's sleep, but they
are also experiencing higher overall levels of satisfaction during their stay.
Guest's perception of cleanliness, room decor and maintenance has increased
significantly since the introduction of the Heavenly Bed."
According to Brush, Westin has attracted new guests who used to stay with
other hotel brands, such as Hyatt and Marriott, simply because they have heard
so much about Westin's new beds. In fact, occupancy at Westin hotels that
feature the Heavenly Beds has increased. To date the Heavenly Bed is in the
rooms of over 60% of all North America Westin hotels, and will be in 95% of
all hotels by the end of 2001.
Westin's all-white Heavenly Bed features a custom-designed pillow-top
mattress, a down blanket, five pillows and three crisp sheets ranging in
thread count from 180 to 250.
Westin Hotels & Resorts, with more than 110 hotels and resorts in 24
countries, is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Starwood
Hotels & Resorts is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the
world with more than 725 properties in 80 countries and 120,000 employees at
its owned and managed properties. With internationally renowned brands,
Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchiser of hotels and
resorts including: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four
Points and W brands, as well as Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the
premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership
resorts. More information is available from the company's web site:
http://www.starwoodhotels.com.
For further information about Westin's Heavenly Bed, or to place an order,
please call toll free 1-877-777-5418, or email: heavenlybed@aol.com. Coming
this fall -- The Westin Catalog featuring new products including the brand's
best-selling Heavenly Bed.
SOURCE Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.starwoodhotels.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/443150.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 443150
CONTACT:
Nadeen N. Ayala of Starwood Hotels & Resorts,
914-640-8259
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