Starwood puts marketing staff first

Shanghai - Hotel giant Starwood Hotels & Resorts is expecting to double its portfolio by 2011 and has kicked-off of its first HotStars program in Shanghai for around 100 sales and marketing staff across its growing hotel empire.

Attendants from St Regis, The Luxury Collection, Le Meridien, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton and W Hotels, will attend the HotStars program to discuss company marketing strategies and objectives and explore areas of growth.

The group's creative is handled by Singapore-based Agape Communication, which oversees parts of the business in China and Initiative is its media planner in the Asia Pacific.

Miguel Ko, president of Starwood Hotels & Resorts for Asia Pacific, said managing the human capital is its number one priority.

"We have developed comprehensive orientation tools to groom our associates and prepare them for their current and future roles."

In addition to the 43 hotels it currently operates in China, Starwood has more than 40 new properties opening soon after experiencing significant growth in India.