New Room Designs for Sheraton and Westin Hotels

Starwood is to debut new guestroom designs at its Westin and Sheraton hotels.

The new room schemes, from furniture to textiles, were custom-created by Starwood's in-house Brand Design team led by Erin Hoover, Vice President of Design. With a background in fashion, fine art and industrial design, the team applied key learning's from extensive in-room behavior research which indicated a desire for a greater level of stylish functionality - resulting in design specifically targeted to address some of traveler's biggest pet peeves. The new room designs will be featured in new hotels and renovation projects globally across both brands.

Key highlights include:

- Custom Westin-designed accent table that folds out to fit a room-service tray or laptop, and folds closed to occupy a smaller space. With a quick flip the multi-use table can serve as a working area for an impromptu laptop session or transform into an intimate table for in-room dining.

- Custom Sheraton-designed bedside tables with built-in outlets that face beds, facilitating easy computer and electronics charging use.

- Expanded Westin closet includes shelves and the mini bar, freeing valuable room space and reducing clutter.

- Westin upholstered bench that can double as a luggage rack and is easily stored under the television console and oversized signature Sheraton armchairs with ottomans stored beneath seats, creating additional living area space.

- Sheraton rooms feature an LED nightlight, allowing guests to find their way in an unfamiliar space without turning on the lights and the new Westin rooms incorporate strategically-placed, adjustable LED reading lights in the headboard.

Westin's two new room designs - Westin Classic and Westin Modern - represent a 60% growth in sustainability, utilizing eco-friendly materials such as energy-conserving LED and CFL lights, water conserving low flow plumbing and recycle-able carpet pads, low VOC finishes for casegoods and GreenGuard certified solar shades.

With new builds comprising 95% of the hotels in Westin's pipeline, the new room designs will play a pivotal role in reinforcing the brand's identity and wellness strategy.

For the Sheraton brand's two new designs - Sheraton Revival and Sheraton Heritage - also feature eco-friendly materials including CFL lighting features and low-flow plumbing. Gallery-framed artwork is thoughtfully arranged in vignettes to convey a residential feel.

The first Westin hotels to showcase the new room designs will be the Westin Phoenix, which is scheduled to open February 2011; and the Westin Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego, which will complete a full renovation including rooms in early 2011.

The first Sheraton hotels to feature the new room design are the Sheraton Red Deer in Alberta Canada and the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center which are scheduled to be renovated in early 2011.

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