At Sheraton, “Where Actions Speak Louder,” Starwood’s most global brand delights consumers burdened by waits and delays during travel’s busiest season.
STAMFORD, CONN. – Just in time for the holiday rush, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, is putting its own spin on “the waiting game,” giving consumers the chance to turn their frustrating holi-delays into holi-delights. Continuously seeking to create effortless travel experiences for its guests, Sheraton is launching “Delight my Delay,” a campaign that lets consumers convert their travel delays into opportunities to win prizes, spread cheer and bring joy to an otherwise dreary delay. Launching today at sheraton.com/delightmydelay, “Delight my Delay” will also pop up in airports and major travel destinations around the world to add extra “smileage” to travelers’ faces throughout the months of December and January.
“There’s a reason they say the holidays are the most wonderful time of year – it’s a time when you can get together with loved ones, celebrate the year and enjoy some time off. But it’s a season that can also be filled with stress, whether it’s checking off your gift shopping list or dealing with delayed flights and missed connections,” said Dave Marr, Global Brand Leader for Sheraton Hotels and Resorts. “In keeping true with our mission to provide effortless travel experiences for our guests, Sheraton is putting its own spin on one of the biggest pain points of the holidays and giving consumers the opportunity to get a little extra delight in their day.”
The holidays and their aftermath are some of the busiest travel months of the year, with consumers looking to celebrate and spend more time together with their loved ones. They’re also a high time for shopping, whether it’s taking advantage of the sales or tackling an endless gift shopping list. With this in mind, Sheraton “Delight my Delay” is gamifying the delay by allowing consumers to use their delay time as an entry to win delights – or, rewards and prizes – that will help make their future travel experiences more effortless. And because Sheraton is a place “where actions speak louder,” the brand is also enabling consumers to pay it forward by providing them the ability to share their gifts with fellow delayed travelers.
Delighting the Delay
Starting today, select consumers who are stuck in the craze of the holiday frenzy – whether it’s waiting to find a cab, spending extra time in line at a store or facing delays at the airport – can follow and tweet at @sheratonhotels with their travel delay and #delightdelaysweeps for the chance to receive a direct message featuring a unique code that unlocks a prize from the Sheraton “Delight my Delay” site.
Sheraton “Delight my Delay” will also come to life in airports and major travel destinations around the world to help delight as many travelers as possible.
- At New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport Terminal 7 from December 21-24, a Sheraton “Delight my Delay” kiosk will bring the old phrase “time is money” to life. Using proprietary technology, the kiosk will enable delayed travelers to scan their boarding pass and convert the number of minutes they’re waiting or delayed into the number of opportunities they have to win a prize – the more delayed, the more chances to win. With prizes ranging from Sheraton resort getaways to gadgets and travel gear, each winner will receive twice the prize to give to a friend, family member or fellow traveler, so they can help spread the delight to others who may be delayed alongside them.
- At Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest airport with 8,000 weekly flights to over 270 destinations, Sheraton will delight global travelers throughout January with a vending machine that invites consumers in transfer or with long waiting times to use their boarding pass as a means to redeem a travel care package. Featuring must-have items to make their wait more effortless, consumers will not only receive a package for themselves, but another to share with a fellow delayed traveler.
Turning Heads and Changing Minds
Sheraton’s “Where Actions Speak Louder” advertising campaign, which launched earlier this year and is slated to run through 2017, is designed to boldly communicate ongoing enhancements to the Sheraton guest experience, including new products and partnerships, a renewed focus on service, and an elevated look, feel and design for Starwood’s flagship brand. The campaign is one component of Sheraton 2020, the brand’s bold 10 point plan to make Sheraton the global hotel brand of choice, everywhere. Through it, Sheraton has introduced a new imaginative lobby menu, Paired; announced the richest SPG promotion in the history of the brand, along with a promotion for travel professionals; launched the brand’s new visual identity and re-designed Sheraton.com web and mobile sites; and introduced Sheraton Grand, a new premier tier that recognizes exceptional Sheraton hotels and resorts. A nod to the plan’s clear five year vision, Sheraton 2020 also promises continuous innovation of the Sheraton guest experience; an unwavering commitment to service excellence; the implementation of revenue and profit-driving initiatives to benefit owners and developers; and a goal of opening more than 150 new Sheraton hotels worldwide by 2020.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
