Boutique Design - May 2015 - 4

SOFT-BRAND GROWTH
LEADS TO HARD CHOICES

EDITORIAL
Executive Editor
Mary Scoviak
mary.scoviak@stmediagroup.com
Editor
Matthew Hall
matthew.hall@stmediagroup.com
Art Director
Kelly Farrar
kelly.farrar@stmediagroup.com

CONTINUE STANDING alone or join

a collection? That's the question more
and more owners of independent
hotels are finding themselves facing,
as so-called "soft brand" collections
run by major hoteliers continue their
expansion. The latest development
along those lines came last month,
when Starwood Hotels & Resorts
unveiled the launch of its Tribute Portfolio. (For more specifics on that collection-Starwood's second-and its
initial members, see the lead story in
The Buzz section on page 8.)
At first blush, such collections are
a win-win for both parties. The hotels
involved get the added marketing
muscle of the major chains, including
participation in their loyalty rewards
programs, and the big brands expand
their geographic and market reach.
But as this trend continues to
grow, things are getting a bit more
complicated. In its coverage of the
Tribute launch, The Wall Street Journal
noted that "some hotel owners have
stayed away from soft brands, preferring not to pay the fees. Other owners
of branded hotels have been disap-

pointed that a nearby independent property can join a soft brand
and then compete for loyalty-club
members and have access to the same
distribution network."
Beyond those operational concerns,
I'm wondering what all this means to
hotel designers, in terms of their relationships with clients. Specifically, I'm
curious as to how the growing behindthe-scenes presence of brands via their
collections is impacting such things as
budget sizes and design freedom.
If you have any thoughts on those
issues, I'd love to hear them-and
share them with our readers (with your
permission, of course!). Please contact
me at the email address in the column
to the right with your thoughts on this
timely topic.

Assistant Editor
Christina Green
christina.green@stmediagroup.com

SALES
Associate Publisher/
Business Development Manager,
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Melani Beattie
melani.beattie@stmediagroup.com
(312) 218-5691
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Northeast
Michael Schneider
michael.schneider@stmediagroup.com
(212) 404-6936
Business Development Manager,
Southeast
Scott Rickles
scott.rickles@stmediagroup.com
(770) 664-4567

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Tedd Swormstedt
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Publisher, Boutique Design
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