Four Points News
Starwood Hotels Announces Exclusive Partnership to Become “Official Hotel of The Chicago Cubs”
CHICAGO, IL – January 17, 2013 – Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced it will become the exclusive hotel
and resort partner of the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field, Chicago Cubs Spring
Training, Cubs Destinations and Chicago Cubs Charities. As part of the
new long-term partnership, Starwood’s award-winning loyalty program, Starwood
Preferred Guest(R), will give members exclusive access to a variety of
once-in-a-lifetime experiences with the Chicago Cubs through SPG Moments(SM),
beginning with the 2013 season.
“Establishing a strategic partnership with the Chicago Cubs allows Starwood to
tap into our members’ passion for sports and create unique and memorable
experiences,” said Mark Vondrasek, Senior Vice President, Distribution, Loyalty
& Partnership Marketing. “An enhanced presence at Wrigley Field is an
important platform for Starwood to continue delivering unforgettable moments
for our members at one of the top tourist attractions in Chicago.”
Some of the planned experiences include: ‘Surprise and Delight’ seat upgrades
during every home game at Wrigley Field, VIP experiences with players and team
management such as serving as ‘Honorary Team Manager for a Day,’ access to the
SPG luxury suite behind home plate, and opportunities to bid for VIP access to
Cubs Spring Training and Cubs Destinations trips. To explore Cubs Spring
Training packages, please visit spg.com/moments.
“We are excited to partner with Starwood and their SPG loyalty program to
provide our fans with nine lifestyle hotel brands and over 1,100 distinctive
properties to choose from around the world,” said Wally Hayward, Chief Sales
& Marketing Officer, Chicago Cubs. “Starwood’s innovative properties will
also make players and fans feel at home when we’re on the road this
season.”
Cubs fans can book Starwood hotels for Cubs home and road games thru cubs.com
or spg.com. The Starpoints® earned for their stays can then be
transformed into unique Cubs experiences through SPG Moments.
New Hotel to be Developed
Across from Wrigley
Field
Starwood also announced today the Ricketts family has signed an agreement to
develop a boutique hotel affiliated with the Sheraton brand across the street
from Wrigley Field.
“We look forward to collaborating with the Ricketts family to bring a global
hotel icon to one of North America’s most beloved baseball teams and the
vibrant Lakeview community,” said Simon Turner, President of Global Development
for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. “We share the Ricketts
family’s vision to bring new jobs and help to create a diverse, center of
economic activity.”
The exterior design and décor of the hotel will be a one-of-a-kind
collaboration, which will be uniquely designed to fit within the current
neighborhood landscape and community.
"Once we know how we can save Wrigley Field, the Ricketts Family is looking
forward to the opportunity to build a hotel across the street. It could
complement the neighborhood and its establishments while also serving fans and
tourists," said Ricketts Family spokesman Dennis Culloton. "Most
importantly, building this hotel is a critical part of a more than $500 million
plan to reinvest in Wrigley Field and the neighborhood. The family
wants to create 800 construction jobs and 1,300 full-time jobs, preserve
Wrigley Field as one of the top three tourist destinations in the state and
grow the ballpark’s $650 million in annual economic impact to Chicago and the
region."
Culloton also said the family would work with the community to seek City
approval on a boutique hotel development and added it would drive tourism for
local businesses 365 days a year.
The hotel will offer a prime location at the northwest corner of Clark and
Addison and be a key anchor component of a large scale entertainment and retail
development across from Wrigley Field. Walking distance to the numerous
theaters, shops, restaurants, and bars in the Lakeview community, the hotel
will be just 15 minutes from the Magnificent Mile and the Chicago Loop
providing fans and visitors with additional and desired lodging on the North
side outside of Cubs baseball games.
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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, and most
recently Your24TM and SPG LifetimeTM. In addition
to Free Night Awards at over 1,100 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 to no other to experiences in
music, sports and the arts through SPG Moments. 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 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.
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and
leisure companies in the world with 1,134 properties in nearly 100 countries
and 154,000 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 ElementSM. 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.
(Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of federal securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are not
guarantees of future performance or events and involve risks and uncertainties
and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially
from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made.
These risks and uncertainties are presented in detail in our filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe the expectations
reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable
assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained or
that results and events will not materially differ. We undertake no obligation
to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result
of new information, future events or otherwise.)
Article Publish Date: 01/17/2013
