SPG Members Stay Connected in 2015 with Free Internet Access from Starwood

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Staying reliably connected to the world while on the road – whether for business or pleasure – is vital to today's modern traveler. In recognition of that, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. HOT is announcing that all Starwood Preferred Guest® (SPG®) members who book through Starwood's digital channels will be offered free standard in-room Internet access during their stay at all participating hotels worldwide.

“With the seismic shift towards digital, particularly when guests are on the road and literally mobile, our SPG members believe high quality Internet access is a basic necessity right up there with a great bed,” said Chris Holdren, Senior Vice President, SPG and Digital at Starwood. “Offering free in-room Internet access just relieves one more pain point in the travel experience and recognizes our loyalty to SPG members who travel with us.”

Beginning February 2, 2015, free Internet access will be available to SPG members who book their hotel stays through Starwood's many digital channels including the company's corporate and brand websites and mobile sites as well as the SPG app.

Starwood's digital channels have seen increased popularity among guests and SPG members. The SPG app has seen the fastest growth in bookings across SPG's digital platforms experiencing nearly 60% growth in the last year. In total, all of Starwood's digital channels have seen more than 10% growth, and now, Starwood is rewarding guests who book through its platforms with the services they want.

“This year we've been laser-focused on empowering our guests with tools to control their stay and personalize their experiences,” said Holdren. “SPG Members can now share their core preferences through SPG Preferences or bypass the front desk and open their door with their smart phone with SPG Keyless. Free Internet access is another milestone as we put ever greater control in the hands of our loyal guests, with more to come.”

Access Extended: Travel Pros Can Offer Free Internet with SPG.com Bookings

In addition to members, SPG is dedicated to championing travel professionals who play an integral role in helping travelers book their stays. Following the launch of SPG Pro, a new comprehensive loyalty program designed to reward travel professionals, SPG is offering all travel professionals the opportunity to extend free Internet access to their client base of SPG members when travel is booked on spg.com. This advantage is in addition to all other SPG Pro benefits they're already receiving if they are enrolled in the program.

Chris Austin, Vice President, Global Leisure & Luxury Sales added: “This move underscores Starwood's commitment to supporting the travel professional community, including the growing number of home-based professionals, and to providing these important partners with the same opportunities as their clients.”

Visit spg.com/internet for more information and to secure standard in-room Internet access for your next Starwood hotel stay or a stay on behalf of your clients.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 1,200 properties in 100 countries, and 181,400 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 Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, and Element®. 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.

About Starwood Preferred Guest

Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG®) is an innovative, award-winning frequent traveler program that unites each of Starwood's 9 distinctive hotel brands and includes more luxury hotels in more destinations around the world. SPG reinvented the hospitality loyalty landscape when it launched in 1999 with its breakthrough policy of no blackout dates, and over the years has continued its tradition of innovation with enhancements such as Cash + Points, SPG Moments^SM, and most recently Your24™ and SPG Lifetime™. In addition to Free Night Awards at more than 1,200 hotels and resorts and Award Flights on over 350 major airlines without blackout dates, the Starpoints® that members earn through SPG can be redeemed for access like no other to experiences in music, sports and the arts through SPG Moments. SPG offers the opportunity for meeting and travel professionals to earn rich rewards including Starpoints and elite status through SPG Pro. SPG also has an ongoing commitment to digital innovation to meet the needs of today's connected global traveler – from the SPG app for iPhone that utilizes state-aware technology to create a more personalized hotel stay to Starwood's Best Rate Guarantee on SPG.com, to SPG's integration within various social media platforms. Offerings such as these have helped SPG build a passionate member base among the world's most frequent travelers. Learn more at spg.com, spg.com/pro and spg.com/moments and connect with us on facebook.com/spg, twitter.com/spg, foursquare.com/spg, pinterest.com/spglife, and youtube.com/spg.