How do you solve a problem like Sheraton?

Starwood, the hotel group behind Le Meridien / Westin / W / Aloft / Luxury Collection / St Regis etc, set out a blueprint to revitalise its tired Sheraton brand on Monday.

There is little doubt that Sheraton needs help.  One of the original global hotel brands, it has suffered from neglect and underinvestment for many years – except in Asia, oddly, where its name sits above many impressive hotels.

A vicious spiral can quickly open up in the hotel industry, because if your brand is no longer seen as relevant or aspirational it is not attractive to hotel developers.  Without a pipeline of exciting new projects to provide a ‘halo’ effect, the brand just sinks away.

(It is worth noting that this is only the 3rd article on Sheraton to appear on HfP out of more than 3,000 published pieces.  There really hasn’t been much going on.)

You can read the full story over at Business Wire.

The best 100 Sheraton hotels are to be moved into a new chain called Sheraton Grand.  This is meant to have two objectives:

to allow guests to have a better idea of what they will get if they book a Sheraton (ie if it is a Sheraton Grand it will be OK) and

to shame owners of properties which do not make the cut into upgrading their hotels

$100m is to be invested in a Sheraton-focussed marketing campaign (I need to work out a way of getting my hands on a sliver of that!).

150 new Sheraton hotels are to open worldwide by 2020.  This is likely to involve Starwood having to offer ‘sweetheart’ deals to developers who would ideally prefer to have a fresher name above the door, in order to provide the ‘halo’ effect which will drive sales across the brand.

From a loyalty perspective Starwood also announced a new Sheraton promotion which will launch soon.

Between July 9th and September 30th, you will earn a free Sheraton weekend night – valid at any property – for every five Sheraton nights you stay.  The free night will be valid until the end of the year.

With some very cunning planning, this could work out nicely.  There are some decent and / or expensive Sheraton hotels stretching from the Maldives to New York.  Booking yourself into a cheap one for a business trip could pay off nicely later in the year. 

In the UK, the Sheraton Grand in Edinburgh was fully refurbished a couple of years ago and is well regarded.  The Park Lane Hotel in London – which is on Piccadilly and not on Park Lane – still appears to be a Sheraton despite dropping the name.

I will discuss this promotion again when registration is available.

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How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (March 2025)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

Marriott Bonvoy American Express

20,000 points for signing up and 15 elite night credits each year Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.

We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

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The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
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and for small business owners:

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SPECIAL OFFER: Until 8th April 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Business Gold is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 60,000 points. You receive 40,000 points when you spend £6,000 within three months and a further 20,000 points if you spend on the card between Month 14 and Month 17. Points convert 1:1 into Avios and many other programmes. Click here to apply.

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The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points.