W and Four Seasons hotels comparison

¶ … luxury hotel brands, Starwood's W. Hotels and the flagship brand at Four Seasons. From a brand perspective, the two are actually quite different. The W. brand is positioned as modern, hip and aspirational, while Four Seasons is positioned as an older, more established luxury. W is positioned with what it terms "iconic design and contemporary luxury" -- meaning lots of neon and funky furniture designs -- with glamor at the heart of its offering. The target market for W. clearly skews younger, and with a nightlife orientation, bringing out the rock star aspirational connotations. The Four Seasons reflects what it terms "dedication to perfecting the travel experience" to the point where it offers a round-the-world luxury jet trip as a brand extension. It is expected that these substantial brand differences will be reflected in the in-hotel experience as well.

The two do not differ too much with respect to the check-in expectations. In the luxury segment, check-in should be flawless, with service from the minute you enter the property. Doors should be opened and someone should help with the luggage. The check-in process itself should be streamlined, especially if you have a reservation. You should never have to wait for the room to be ready. Customers of both hotels will different on their leisure and lifestyle preferences, but they do not differ much with respect to service expectations. Check-in is a basic service at any hotel, and the expectation is that service standards will be very high at this stage.

Check-in is also the point of the transaction where the hotel has the best opportunity to build the relationship with the customer. In some cases, it is the only direct interaction the hotel might have, so it is imperative that the hotel staff build the relationship at this time. This is where the differences between the two customer bases will become more apparent. While the staff will be able to assist with the basic hotel services and amenities, W staff should have a slightly hipper approach. They should be able to recommend nightclubs, for example, or modern restaurants, while Four Seasons staff might be less equipped for such things. The lifestyle preferences of the customer bases should be more apparent at this stage, with the tone and content of assistance, but the standard of assistance at either hotel should be very high.

Loyalty programs are a key differentiator between hotel brands. The W. brand is relatively young, and Starwood is still building out its portfolio of properties. Its loyalty program is known as Starwood Preferred Guests (SPG). The program, therefore, is available across all Starwood brands, which helps when someone is in a city where there is no W. hotel. Starwood has a number of cheaper brands for global coverage (Sheraton, Westin, etc.) but also offers the St. Regis, which is more of a direct competitor to Four Seasons. SPG seeks to offer a streamlined, simple loyal program, offering no blackouts, immediate access and rewards ranging from flights on 30 airlines to rooms. The size of the company and the presence of another major luxury brand within the company enhance the value of this offering. Four Seasons does not have a loyalty program, which is fairly normal for the luxury hotel business (Levere, 2007). Four Seasons had toyed with the idea of a broad loyalty program but has yet to implement it and there is apparently a small, hidden loyalty program accessible by invitation only. This is in keeping with the philosophy that all guests receive great service, that there should not be differentiation in the level of service that people receive.

In terms of amenities, there are also some differences between the brands. W characterizes its amenities as "whatever you want, whenever you want it." This include 24-hour concierge services, gyms with high-end equipment, in-room dining around the clock, and spa services. The gym and spa are branded. All W. hotels also have high end restaurant facilities. There are proprietary bath products and beds as well, to ensure consistency in the in-room experience at W. hotels around the world. The company also offers a number of packages to help encourage customers to take advantage of these other services, adding significant revenue-per-room if the packages are enticing enough to stimulate purchase.