BETHESDA, Maryland—It’s been a little more than a year since Marriott International unveiled its plans for transforming Sheraton at the NYU International Hospitality Investment Conference, and three since Marriott inherited the brand in its $13.3 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 2016.
馬里蘭州貝塞斯達報導—距離萬豪集團在紐約大學國際酒店投資大會公布喜來登酒店轉型計劃至今已有一年多，而萬豪集團於2016年收購喜達屋集團並承接喜來登品牌迄今也已三年。Last year’s NYU display showcased Marriott’s ideas for a new lobby and guestroom prototypes, which centered on cultivating a sense of community, especially within public spaces.
去年(2018年)在紐約大學的會議中，萬豪集團展示了喜來登酒店新大廳區與客房的概念原型，該原型著重於培養在地社區感，尤其是在公共空間的部份。

New features included a communal “productivity table” where people can work alone or together; on-demand flexible meeting spaces; a coffee bar that’s transformed into an actual bar at night; and the placement of a community manager who could assist guests with ordering food and beverages or booking meeting spaces.
品牌轉型的特點包括：一張可獨立作業或共同使用的公共「生產力桌」、隨選的彈性會議空間、一個在晚間可變身成為酒吧的咖啡吧、配置一名社區經理以協助顧客點購餐飲或預訂會議空間。

Marriott’s vision for the Sheraton brand is to reinforce it as a gathering space. Indy Adenaw, VP and global brand leader for Sheraton said, “Sheraton is anchored on the town square of today, where people can feel at home together.”
萬豪集團對於喜來登品牌的擘劃是加強其為「聚會處所」的概念。喜來登酒店的全球副總裁暨品牌長Indy Adenaw說：「喜來登品牌是以現今的(歐洲)城鎮廣場為定著點，而人們能一同在此感受到如家一般的自在。」

Marriott’s goal is to get the Sheraton brand back on track like it did with its flagship brand. Bjorn Hanson, hospitality consultant and former clinical professor at the NYU Jonathan M. Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism, said “it was never clear what Sheraton’s core image or market appeal was.”
萬豪集團的目標是讓喜來登品牌回到正軌，如同萬豪集團對其旗艦品牌(如萬豪酒店)所做的一樣。酒店業顧問暨紐約大學Jonathan Tisch旅館旅遊研究中心的前客座教授 Bjorn Hanson說：「喜來登品牌的核心形象或市場吸引力從未明確過。」

“There are Sheraton resorts for leisure, Sheraton hotels for business and Sheraton properties designed for groups, and the brand’s domestic reputation differs heavily from its perception abroad,” he said. “In Asia, for example, the Sheraton brand could go head to head with luxury brands."
Hanson表示：「喜來登渡假酒店是為休憩目的，喜來登酒店是商旅目的居多，也有些喜來登據點是為團體客而設計的，再者，喜來登品牌在美國當地的名聲風評迥異於國外的看法見解。比如說在亞洲好了，喜來登這個品牌可以跟奢華檔次的品牌併列。」

Adenaw added that the brand’s “diversity dynamic continues to be a challenge, and we’ve spent time working on the more than 191 locations in North America.”
喜來登酒店的全球副總裁暨品牌長Indy Adenaw補充說：「喜來登酒店的多樣與差異性不斷地發展成為一項挑戰，而我們已在北美洲超過191個喜來登酒店據點花費時間去處理這個狀況。」

“But the diversity challenge is also a flipside of an opportunity,” he said. “This is a brand that people have grown up with, and if we can convince everyone to go in on this together, that strength will now help us.”
Adenaw說：「不過，這個多樣與差異性挑戰同時也相對會是個機會。喜來登這個品牌陪伴著人們一同成長，而如果我們能夠讓大家信服去一起參與品牌轉型，這股力量將有助於我們。」

Where Sheraton is today(喜來登酒店的現今處境)
To date, approximately 82 of the 191 Sheraton hotels in North America are undergoing some type of renovation. In total, Sheraton is Marriott’s most geographically diverse brand, and its third largest in terms of rooms (more than 155,000) and fees.
目前(2019年10月下旬為止)，喜來登酒店在北美洲的191個據點中有大約82間正在進行某些改裝工程。總體而言，喜來登酒店是萬豪集團旗下全球分佈最廣泛的品牌，並且是集團中客房總數與總管銷費用第三大的品牌。

The global pipeline for new hotels is at 85, with much of the new hotels coming out of Europe and China, Adenaw said.
Adenaw表示全球籌備規劃中的新喜來登酒店有85間，其中大多位於歐洲及中國。

Global Development Officer for North America Noah Silverman said in North America, Marriott has four signed Sheraton deals and one is expected to be signed by the end of the year.
萬豪集團北美地區全球發展長Noah Silverman表示，萬豪集團在北美地區有4個新喜來登酒店開發案，還有一間是預計在今年(2019年)年底簽約。

According to Marriott’s most recently reported earnings, revenue per available room and occupancy were lower in the first half of 2019 than they were in the same period last year for North America. Systemwide, Sheraton hotels in North America saw a 1.2% drop in RevPAR and a drop of 1.3 percentage points in occupancy.
根據萬豪集團最近期公布的盈收數據顯示(→編按: 本文刊出於2019年10月下旬，最近期的財報為2019年第2季)，北美地區2019年上半年的平均客房收益(平均每間可供出租客房收入)及住房率都低於去年(2018年)同期的表現。若以品牌系統來看，北美區的喜來登酒店的平均客房收益下降1.2%而住房率則下降1.3%。

Since acquiring the brand in 2016, Sheraton’s RevPAR index has improved to more than 100.
不過，自從萬豪集團於2016年收購了喜來登品牌(前喜達屋集團旗下品牌)後，喜來登酒店的「平均客房收益指數*」已改善至超過100%的程度。
*筆者按：平均客房收益指數(RevPAR Index)是用來計算自家酒店與競爭業者名單(competitive set)之間的平均客房收益差異程度，以「自家的平均客房收益」除以「競爭業者名單的整體平均客房收益」再乘上「100%」，理想狀況是至少100%(以上)，意即自家酒店的平均客房收益應至少大於或等於整體競爭者名單上的平均表現，數值約大越好，若不到100%，則可藉此指數了解：1.自家酒店在銷售與營收管理的執行狀況如何； 2. 自家酒店待改善與加碼投資的空間有多少；3. 自家酒店在其他酒店競爭者當中的相對定位能否自我覺察得到，並且檢視自家酒店在房價與住房率策略上的成效。

How owners feel(談談業主對於品牌轉型的看法)
Joao Woiler, co-founder and asset manager of Miami-based Cambridge Landmark, owns five hotels, four of which are in the Marriott brand family, including the Sheraton Orlando North, purchased in June 2017.
總公司位於美國邁阿密的Cambridge Landmark 公司之共同創辦人暨資產經理 Joao Woiler擁有5間酒店，其中有4間是隸屬於萬豪集團旗下品牌，而當中包括於2017年6月所購得的北奧蘭多喜來登酒店。

It was after seeing the new Sheraton public space and guestroom concepts at NYU in 2018 that Woiler and his team sought to buy the Philadelphia 201 Hotel from Blackstone Group. They planned to renovate the former Sheraton Downtown Philadelphia and convert it back to its previous brand.
就是在2018年於紐約大學的會議中看過新的喜來登公共空間及客房概念後，Cambridge Landmark公司的共同創辦人Woiler及其工作團隊尋求自黑石集團購入費城201酒店。他們計劃將前身是費城城中喜來登酒店的費城201酒店重新裝修並換成其先前的喜來登品牌。

“When we saw the plan that Marriott has for the Sheraton brand, we were convinced that it was a space where we would like to put our time and resources in,” Woiler said. “We bought into that vision.”
Woiler說：「當我們看到萬豪集團對於喜來登品牌所做的規劃時，我們確信那會是我們投注時間與資源的地方。我們完全相信萬豪集團的遠見。」

In February, Cambridge closed on the Philadelphia deal. Woiler said Cambridge is prepared to spend anywhere from $36 million to $38 million to fully renovate the 757-room hotel to include the community-driven features Marriott has developed for the Sheraton brand.
2019年2月時，Cambridge Landmark公司完成了費城201酒店的交易案。Woiler表示他們公司準備斥資3600~3800萬美金之間的金額全面整修這家有757間客房的酒店以包含萬豪集團為喜來登品牌所打造的社區導向特色。

At Cambridge’s Sheraton Orlando North hotel, where 70% of its 389 rooms have been fully renovated, Woiler said net operating income has gone up 50% since June 2017, and that’s despite the fact the hotel has been open during room renovations. The lobby will be renovated in a few years, he said.
Cambridge Landmark公司所擁有的北奧蘭多喜來登酒店(截至2019年10月為止)其389間客房已有七成重新整修，Woiler表示自從2017年6月購入該酒店後，淨營運收入已達五成，即使在實際客房整修期間，酒店仍持續營業。至於大廳的部份則將在未來幾年內翻修。

For Woiler, Sheraton’s challenges represent opportunities. The company has a lot of faith in the Sheraton team to rebuild the brand over time, and they’re willing to wait. He said he’s been encouraged by Sheraton brand leadership and the fact that Marriott has embarked on removing underperforming and non-conforming properties.
對Woiler而言，喜來登品牌的挑戰也代表著契機。Cambridge Landmark公司十分信賴喜來登團隊逐步再造品牌，而且他們很樂意等待再造計劃完工。Woiler表示他深受「喜來登品牌的領導地位」以及「萬豪集團已針對績效不佳與不遵循品牌標準的喜來登據點著手進行摘牌動作*之實際作為」所激勵。
*筆者按：又有一波清理門戶?!

“There’s no doubt that Sheratons were trading at a discount,” he added. “As an owner, it’s truly an opportunity. People recall the brand. It’s worth the investment and focus Marriott is giving to the brand.”
Woiler補充說：「喜來登酒店在交易市場上早已是折價(商品)狀態。身為一名酒店業主，萬豪集團此舉確實是個提升、翻轉的機會。人們會再記得喜來登這個品牌。那值得業主投資與聚焦萬豪集團正在進行的品牌改造。」

Kory Kramer, partner and investment officer for Newport Beach, California-based Eagle Four Partners, said he and his partners decided to buy the Sheraton Denver Downtown in October 2018 primarily because of its “massive potential,” and they are investing $80 million to renovate it and position it as “Denver’s trophy group meeting and events hotel.”
總公司位於加州的Eagle Four Partners公司，其合夥人暨負責加州紐波特比奇市的投資長Kory Kramer 表示他與他的公司合夥人決定在2018年10月買下丹佛城中喜來登酒店的最主要原因在於其「巨大的商業潛力」，而且他們正投資8000萬美金進行改裝工程並將該酒店定位為「團體會議及活動的模範酒店」。

“Flagship brands like the Sheraton need to redefine themselves in order to remain relevant and combat an increased preference on boutique hotels,” Kramer said. “We believe the new look and feel of the brand speaks perfectly to the discerning business traveler.”
Kramer接著說：「旗艦等級的酒店品牌如喜來登酒店在面對顧客越來越偏好精品酒店之際，需要重新自我定位以維持趨勢相應性及競爭。我們相信喜來登的新風貌和給予顧客的新感受對於有鑒識力的商旅人士而言是完美理想的。」

The new Sheraton Club was designed to be warm and inviting, and have more of a residential feel, according to brand executives. (Rendering: Marriott International)根據品牌高層的說法，新喜來登俱樂部的設計具有溫馨與吸引人駐足停留的氛圍，並且增加住宅感的設計。(設計構想圖由萬豪集團提供)

The new Sheraton Club Lounge(新喜來登俱樂部貴賓廳)
Marriott spent $255 million to buy the Sheraton Grand Phoenix, which is currently being renovated into the prototype of the new Sheraton, expected to be completed by early next year.
萬豪集團於2018年6月28日正式宣布以2億5500萬美金買下位於美國亞利桑那州的鳳凰城喜來登大酒店(此為萬豪集團近五年內首度購入的不動產，該酒店為總客房數1000間的超大量體酒店)，該酒店目前(2019年)正進行新喜來登酒店的概念原型之全面改裝，預計在2020年初期完工。

Even through the renovation, Marriott is testing its new Sheraton Club Lounge at the property, which includes virtual reality to try out design concepts with owners and travelers.
萬豪集團甚至藉由此次的全面改裝也同時在鳳凰城喜來登大酒店測試其新喜來登俱樂部貴賓廳之規劃，其中包含運用虛擬實境裝置與業主們及旅客們測試各個設計概念。

“We want the club lounge to feel like a sanctuary, with pockets of spaces that you can make your own, where food and beverage will feel much more informal and more approachable,” Adenaw said.
喜來登酒店的全球副總裁暨品牌長Indy Adenaw說：「我們希望俱樂部貴賓廳能感受像是個遠離俗事的安頓處所，配置一些可供個人使用的小空間與區塊，而貴賓廳的餐飲服務會讓人更感覺輕鬆自在不拘謹，並且享用方便。」

By using the VR headsets to test out the new concepts, Marriott is able to better gauge how people interact with the lounge without having to make a heftier investment in building out an entire model lounge room in these early design stages.
萬豪集團藉由虛擬實境的頭戴裝置來測試新品牌概念更能夠量測出人們如何對應新貴賓廳的規劃，同時也能在設計的初期階段無需花費鉅資打造整個完整的貴賓廳樣品屋。

“We’re using this to solicit owner feedback,” Adenaw said, adding that Marriott planned to bring in five or six different ownership groups to try the VR experience.
Adenaw說：「我們正使用這個方式來徵詢業主們的反饋。」，他補充提到萬豪集團已計劃帶5或6組不同的業主團體嘗試虛擬實境體驗。

Sheraton is learning from the Marriott brand’s club lounge refresh and finding that many lounges are no longer being placed on higher levels or in more secluded parts of the hotel, he said.
Adenaw表示喜來登酒店品牌正從萬豪酒店品牌學習俱樂部貴賓廳(行政貴賓廳)的「提振方案」並且也發現許多貴賓廳的配置已不再位處高樓層或是酒店館內較僻靜的地方。

“Many are shifting to the ground floor,” he said. “Consumer behavior has shifted, and there’s a push to have lounges on the ground floor, both from an owner perspective and consumer one. It makes sense because it’s centrally located and that means there’s a richer variety of food available, and travelers have easier access. The more natural light there is, too, the more they use it.”
Adenaw說：「許多貴賓廳都位移至一樓(地面層)。消費者行為早已轉變，而且來自業主與消費者的觀點均推動著『貴賓廳就應該在一樓』的酒店規劃。這觀點是有道理的，因為酒店的一樓(地面層)是主要的中心位置，這表示在餐飲服務的選擇上有更多品項可供享用，而且旅客也容易前往。再者，酒店的地面層通常也有較多的自然光，讓旅客更常前往使用貴賓廳。」

Because many Sheraton hotels traditionally had large lobby spaces, shifting the club lounge to the lobby level could prove to be a good thing for owners in terms of maximizing space.
由於許多喜來登酒店傳統上都配置大型的大廳空間，就「空間使用最大化」的方面，將俱樂部貴賓廳位移至大廳層，對業主而言，可以證明是個好舉措。

From an owner’s perspective, club lounges can be a potential money pit, but if they’re placed in the right markets, they can be worth the investment, Woiler said.
Cambridge Landmark公司的共同創辦人Woiler表示，就業主的角度來看，俱樂部貴賓廳的配置可以說是一個潛在的錢坑，然而如果貴賓廳設置在恰當的需求市場(或位置)，那麼這個設施就值得投資。

“If you’re Marriott, you can drive more of those loyal customers into the hotel and you should invest,” he said. “But if you’re in an area where you are already packed with plenty of platinum-level guests and so on, I think you should take care not to build too big of a lounge because you might bleed money.”
Woiler說：「如果你開的是一間萬豪體系的酒店，你可以吸引更多的集團忠誠客戶至自家酒店，光是這點，你就該投資下去。不過，要是你家酒店所在的地區滿是白金會級以上(此處以萬豪旅享家的會員分級為標準)的顧客來光顧，你該注意的是別把貴賓廳蓋得太大，因為你可能會『失血過多』。」
*筆者按：看到這段忍不住笑了出來，當貴賓廳的服務人員歡迎顧客享用之際，業主私下在吶喊著「嘜勾呷，嘜勾飲啦~~QQ」。

Hanson said he believes the demand for hotel club lounge experiences among consumers remains high.
酒店業顧問暨紐約大學Jonathan Tisch旅館旅遊研究中心的前客座教授 Bjorn Hanson表示他相信消費者在酒店的俱樂部貴賓廳(行政貴賓廳)體驗之需求仍舊很高。

“The hotel experience has become, for many people, the highlight of the trip, and if there are options to make it even more of the best of the travel experience—like having concierge floors, manager receptions, room upgrades, or lounges—those are ways to offer a more personalized experiences and offset the unpleasantness that you can find in other parts of the travel experience,” he said.
Hanson說：「對於許多人來說，酒店的體驗已成為旅程中的亮點，如果酒店所提供的服務選項中有可以讓整個旅途經歷變得更好的話—像是入住專屬禮賓樓層、酒店經理親自接待、客房升等或是贈送行政貴賓廳的使用服務—而這些都是酒店提供更個人化體驗的方式，並且能順勢彌補旅客在旅途中所發生其他不悅的狀況。」

If hotel owners can manage to monetize the lounges by offering some complimentary food and beverage, but also making it possible for guests to order and pay for other items, that’s even better for their bottom lines, especially when operating a full-service property.
若酒店業主們能夠藉由貴賓廳所提供的免費餐飲之餘，又能讓顧客在貴賓廳點購並支付其他餐飲品項的話就可以從中賺錢，如此一來對於酒店的財務盈虧方面就更有助益，尤其是經營一間全服務式的酒店之時。

“If you look over time, food-and-beverage profits have improved,” Hanson said. “If we look 20 years ago, they were below 20%; now they’re in the mid- to upper 20s, closer to 26%.”
Hanson表示，「如果你經過一段時間來看，餐飲利潤則已有改善。若我們看的是20年前的狀況，餐飲利潤還不到20%；不過現今利潤已超過25%接近26%。」

Smart hoteliers are reconfiguring what food and beverage is, he said.
聰明的旅館經理人都在重新配置餐飲服務的定義，Hanson說道。

The future of Sheraton and full-service hotels(喜來登酒店及全服務式酒店的未來)
While Marriott cements its vision for Sheraton as the world’s gathering place, the company still faces some challenges. Namely, that there are still many different Sheraton properties out there—not all of which cater to business-minded travelers.
雖然萬豪集團以「世界的聚會處所」之遠見擘劃強化喜來登品牌，然而集團仍然面對一些挑戰。比方說，仍舊有許多不同的喜來登酒店並非都規劃為接待商旅人士。

And even as more select- or limited-service brands emerge, there’s still a place for full-service brands like Sheraton.
即便是有更多的精選*或有限服務類型的酒店品牌出現，依舊有市場空間給像是喜來登一樣的全服務型酒店品牌。
*筆者按：此處非指「collection(精選系列)」的軟性品牌。

Silverman said Marriott has seen record signings for its full-service brands in North America for a number of years.
萬豪集團北美地區全球發展長Noah Silverman表示萬豪集團這些年在北美區的全服務型酒店品牌已見歷來最佳的簽約記錄。

“We haven’t seen a drop off in interest in full-service hotels by comparison to the interest in the past,” he said. “While it’s certainly true there’s been a high degree of interest in select-service, it hasn’t come at the expense of interest overall in full-service hotels.”
Silverman說：「若比較以往業主對於全服務型品牌的興趣，我們迄今尚未見到熱度減退的狀況。雖然業主對於精選服務品牌的興趣熱度確實仍高，但整體而言還不至於把全服務型品牌打入冷宮。」

One exception was the traditional suburban hotel with 300 or so rooms and thousands of square feet in meeting space, he said.
「有個例外是傳統的郊區型酒店，總客房數約莫300間左右，並有數千平方英呎*的會議場地。」
*筆者按：1000平方英呎約等於28坪

“We’re still doing some deals with those kinds of hotels, but there aren’t a whole lot of new-builds happening in those markets,” Silverman said.
Silverman接著說：「我們仍在進行一些上述類型酒店的開發合作案，不過並未有大量的新建大樓在那些市場中。」

Even as demand for full-service hotels holds steady, it’s clear these brands need to redefine themselves, Kramer said.
Eagle Four Partners公司合夥人Kory Kramer表示，即使對於全服務型酒店的需求依舊穩定，但這類型的酒店品牌仍需要重新自我定位，這是再清楚不過的事。

The vision for Sheraton will be clearer once the new Sheraton Grand Phoenix emerges in 2020.
一旦新的鳳凰城喜來登大酒店於2020年正式登場，萬豪集團對於喜來登品牌的擘劃與遠見對於業界與一般大眾而言將會更加清晰。

“Phoenix will be the first chance to show you exactly what we’ve been working for,” Adenaw said. “I want owners to understand that we’ve worked really hard to have conviction in what we do but to do it hand in hand with them, to ensure the ideas that we’re building have operational rigor and financial rigor, and that they’re tested in a wide range of properties.”
喜來登酒店的全球副總裁暨品牌長Indy Adenaw說：「鳳凰城這個案子將會是我們首次有機會向你們各位展示我們這段期間以來的確切工作成果。我希望業主們能了解萬豪集團對於此次喜來登品牌轉型是秉持著理念傾全力去完成的，但同時也是與業主們攜手合作而完成的。這樣能確保萬豪集團對於喜來登品牌所建構的想法、理念有實際營運上與財務上的嚴謹性，而且能在廣大範圍的酒店據點中測試、驗證。」

若覺得「世界的聚會處所(where the world comes together)」有點遠，那就從所在地的鄰里社區出發！

系列文之三將要試著分析與討論的是台灣旅館酒店在客源及體質上的問題。敬請稍候。