SPG App for iPhone® Now Offers Chinese Travelers Personalized Customer Service, Recommendations, Bookings, Travel Information, and Seamless Social Media Connectivity
SHANGHAI, Aug. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Starwood Preferred Guest, the award-winning loyalty program from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT), today announced its popular application for iPhone and iPod Touch devices is now available in Mandarin Chinese. The 'go-to' app from Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) debuted in English earlier this year, providing a guest-centric approach using new state-aware technology, localized content and customer service, and personalized social networking platforms for a seamless experience across Starwood's nine distinct brands.
"We built the SPG app to be an all-in-one travel tool that connects our guests with the information they need to enhance the experience during their journey with us," said Chris Holdren, Senior Vice President of Starwood Preferred Guest and Digital. "Mobile continues to be a vital part of our business's future, and nowhere is this more evident than China, already the world's largest mobile market, where we have also seen significant SPG enrollment increases."
More than 100 million Chinese are expected to travel outside of China by 2015, and these travel trends are already playing out at Starwood. China is now Starwood's second largest market, and in 2011, SPG saw Chinese enrollment jump more than 60 percent over the previous year. To date, more than half of Starwood's guests in China are Chinese nationals, a figure that is expected to rise as the loyalty base of SPG continues to grow.
"Technology has changed the way people relate to brands and the same goes for our Chinese guests," said Qian Jin, President, Greater China, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. "As they continue to travel outside of China, they want more and expect more out of their experience. The localized Chinese SPG app allows our guests to arrange their travel plans in their native language and share their stories through social platforms that are relevant to them."
Meeting the Needs of China's Mobile Traveler
In China, hotel reservations via mobile platforms have grown rapidly over the past few years. To date, Starwood has recorded a 221 percent year-on-year increase in Chinese mobile hotel bookings, greater than the 200 percent growth trend across Asia Pacific. To better understand these travelers, Starwood partnered with Chinese mobile ad agency, Guohead, to conduct in-depth research to identify key mobile functions that are popular with and expected from Chinese guests. For instance, the study found the need to integrate locally relevant social media platforms, such as Sina Weibo and Jiepang, to allow Chinese travelers to share their experiences and stay connected to family and friends while on the road.
The survey also found that while the company continues to experience a growing trend in mobile bookings, some Chinese travelers still prefer personal booking methods. As a result, the Chinese SPG iPhone app offers a 'call-to-book' function that allows users to make hotel reservations directly through the Starwood customer contact center at the touch of a button. This functionality has also been integrated into the English version of the app.
Users of the Chinese language app can still employ all the same functionalities as the English version, including state-aware technology for a more personalized experience. When the latest app from SPG launched, Starwood was the first in the hospitality industry to feature a state-aware interface, allowing the app's look, language and content to shift by brand and destination based on a guest's upcoming or current stay. The location-based services also connect users to the closest customer contact center to ensure immediate assistance when needed. The app also stores extensive content that is easily filtered and customized, providing members with all the details of their SPG profile as well as information on upcoming and past Starwood stays.
Ahead in China's Digital Platforms
Starwood has upped the game across its digital platforms in China in order to create personalized guest experiences and locally relevant content for Chinese guests. Last year, SPG launched a partnership campaign with Jiepang, China's leading location-based social mobile app, similar to Foursquare. The campaign offered SPG members opportunities to earn bonus Starpoints by checking in via Jiepang with a confirmed reservation at more than 200 Starwood hotels and resorts across Asia Pacific. Also, those who checked in and synchronized at least two of their different social networks unlocked a virtual badge from one of Starwood's nine brands. Collecting badges led to more rewards, including the chance to win free weekend stays and exclusive getaways at various Starwood hotels and resorts in Asia Pacific.
"The Jiepang campaign attracted more than 8,000 participants with over 27,000 badges unlocked," added Qian. "While we only asked participants to check-in via Jiepang, our guests went beyond expectations and uploaded nearly 3000 photos with their check-ins - something we did not ask them to do. This user-generated content demonstrates how engaged our guests are as they travel and stay with Starwood."
The SPG app, currently available for free download in both English and Chinese from the Apple App Store, is the latest development in SPG's evolution into a hyper-personalized guest services platform. For more information, please visit www.spg.com/iphoneapp.
About Starwood Preferred Guest
The SPG program's breakthrough policy of No Blackout Dates at the world's most sought after collection of hotels reinvented the hospitality loyalty program when it launched in 1999. By creating a program centered on its members, SPG has developed the most passionate and knowledgeable membership base in the hotel loyalty space. Through its use of new technologies and innovative channels such as SPG.com, SPG.com/stayconnected, SPG.com/flights and others, SPG continues to innovate and lead the industry. By offering No Blackouts on standard rooms at more than 1,000 hotels and resorts in nearly 100 countries, No Blackouts on hundreds of airlines, the introduction of Your24 and SPG Lifetime, and unparalleled experiences available through SPG Moments at spg.com/moments, the program has proven to be a big draw for the world's most frequent travelers, and a significant competitive advantage for Starwood. For more information about Starwood Preferred Guest please visit SPG.com.
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,112 properties in nearly 100 countries and 154,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Meridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, and ElementSM. The Company boasts one of the industry's leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
(Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and involve risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made. These risks and uncertainties are presented in detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained or that results and events will not materially differ. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.)
