STARWOOD Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has launched SPG Pro, a new B2B loyalty programme that enables travel trade and related professionals to accumulate points earned from booking events under their personal loyalty account with the hotelier.
Speaking at the Asia-Pacific launch of the programme in Bangkok, Thailand, Alison Taylor, senior vice president sales Asia-Pacific said SPG Pro combines three previous B2B brands – StarChoice, Starwood Preferred Planner, and Starwood Pro – under the new SPG Pro, which is driven by the same engine powering the consumer Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) loyalty programme.
“It’s up to travel planners how they use the points. They can use them for the benefit of their company, to offset meeting costs, to donate to charity or for their own benefit (for free room nights),” she said. “More importantly, they can use them globally across the entire brand.”
SPG Pro focuses on individual clients rather than a corporate entity, meaning that the individual is able to keep their loyalty points even when they move jobs. The programme also hopes to deliver more value to smaller accounts.
“Currently 80 per cent of group business across the brand is from small groups who book 60 rooms or less,” she said. “SPG Pro makes it simpler for us to reward smaller groups and smaller bookers.”
B2B trade accounts for more than 70 per cent of Starwood’s room revenue, and Starwood’s top one per cent of customers deliver 40 per cent of revenue. If SPG Pro expands the top tier by another percentage point, it will deliver additional revenue of US$80 million a year.
Meanwhile, Stephen Ho, president for Asia-Pacific at Starwood, announced the company had signed two new properties in Thailand, a Sheraton in Koh Samui and W Phuket, the first time either brand has entered the respective markets. Le Méridien Suvarnabhumi, Bangkok Golf Resort & Spa is tabled to open next month.
