Slator.com - October 30, 2017
When Marriott International acquired Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 2016 for USD 13.6bn, the merger created the world’s largest hotel chain with over 1,500 properties in over 140 countries across 11 brands.
Localized content is key to reaching a non-English speaking guest anywhere in the world, says Ora Solomon, Director of Digital Product and Globalization at Starwood.
“As our global footprint is so large (over 50% of our properties are outside the United States), having a global digital presence is crucial in meeting our growth needs. China, for instance, is one of our most strategic geographies,” she explains.
Thus, the company invested heavily not only in providing that market with more Chinese content but also in rolling market specific products, such as its own Chinese only loyalty app for the WeChat platform.