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A New Crop of Concierges Emerges at Westin Hotels & Resorts

By: Westin Hotels & Resorts |  0 Shares     122 Reads

Propelled by Growing Guest Demand to Stay Active on the Road, Westin Introduces Expert Concierges from Surfing and Skiing to Tennis and Golf

Official Hotel Sponsor of the 2016 US Open Tennis Championships, Westin Welcomes First-Ever Tennis Concierge

NEW YORK - August 26, 2016 - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Westin Hotels & Resorts, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:HOT), today announced the expansion of its renowned concierge program in North America, underscoring the growing global demand among business and leisure travelers to rev up their well-being routine on the road. Still able to get guests the best reservation in town, many Westin concierges will now provide expert insights into surfing, skiing, hiking, and cycling, among other physical activities. This follows the success of the brand’s runWESTIN™ program and the announcement of Chris Heuisler as the brand’s National RunWestin Concierge in 2014.

“In three years, we have grown the number of Run Concierges at our hotels from 30 to 200 globally,” said Bob Jacobs, Vice President, Brand Management, Westin Hotels & Resorts. “With the program’s success, we know that today’s travelers are more active and more socially-connected than ever before but with much less free time, so the way they engage with hotel concierges has evolved. Expanding our concierges’ expertise to offer diverse active experiences feels like a natural extension to continue to take the stress out of staying active on the road.”

From Tennis Courts to Golf Courses, New Concierges Create Unexpected Workouts

Among the active concierges rolling out around the country, Westin’s first-ever Tennis Concierge will debut to coincide with the start of the 2016 US Open. Based at The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa outside of Vancouver, the hotel’s Tennis Concierge helps guests improve their game from their footwork to footwear; perfecting their backhand and restringing their racket. In New York City next week in conjunction with the Tennis Championships, the expert concierge will also lead “Start Me Up” classes – a vigorous tennis cardio workout with on- and off-court exercises, pushing guests to hit around 200 balls per hour.

Not only making active arrangements for guests, this new crop of concierges often leads workouts and attends excursions to provide expert insight on improving performance. In addition to its Hike Concierge, who invites guests to explore the destination with a 4-mile hike to the Sonoran Desert, The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa offers a dedicated Golf Concierge, giving golfers personalized instruction as well as a novel fitness option: seven-gear mountain bikes with wide tires designed for turf riding. Each bicycle is also outfitted to carry the rider’s set of clubs. Play 18 holes and you’ll cover between 3 and 4 miles.

Trade Your Layover for a Long Board; Westin Concierges Change the Game at Airport Hotels

With growing global demand for wellness, Westin’s portfolio of airport hotels is converting once-dreaded layovers into memorable experiences in new destinations led by the hotel’s new concierges.

After seeing a spike in millennial travelers meeting in Silicon Beach, one of the world’s fastest-growing tech hubs just two miles from beach, The Westin Los Angeles Airport appointed a dedicated Surf Concierge giving guests the chance to catch waves between business pitches and during meeting breaks. Introduced this summer, the Surf Concierge experience has also become popular for guests with long layovers who are eager to get in a workout in a way that is authentic to their layover destination. Guests of all skill levels can book a Surf Concierge session with a one night stay, and the hotel will provide transportation to and from the beach along with a surfboard and wetsuit for each surfer. Sessions last 1.5 hours and are led in partnership with Campsurf, Los Angeles’ Premier Surf School, at El Porto in Manhattan Beach.

Catering to business travelers who want to keep their fitness routine on the road, The Westin Detroit Metropolitan Airport and The Westin Denver International Airport offer the brand’s signature wellness experiences, including access to the WestinWORKOUT® fitness studio, which features state-of-the-art exercise equipment from world-class brands in open, airy and well-designed spaces open 24/7. Through the concierge, travelers with layovers or delays at the airport in Detroit can even buy a day pass, on a first come, first serve basis.

Adventure Travel Keeps Concierges Active & In-Demand, as Westin Sees Spike in Summer Travel to Ski Destinations

The surge in leisure travelers seeking destinations that offer outdoor and adventurous experiences all year long is another trend that Westin hotels are seeing. This increasing demand extends across multiple trip personas, as proven by a recent Westin study* revealing that travel to Canada has tripled among North American honeymooners in the last five years and quadrupled in the western mountain region of the United States.

The Westin Bear Mountain has seen such a spike in requests for hiking and mountain climbing that they have introduced a dedicated Hike Concierge, who assists guests in choosing their trail depending on skill level, accompanies them on the hike and gives guests the option to experience a yoga class at the top of awe-inspiring vistas: from the summit of Mount Finlayson with 360 degree views of Victoria to Goldstream Park overlooking one of the tallest waterfalls on Vancouver Island.

At The Westin Monache Resort in Mammoth, the hotel’s Ski Concierge spends time with guests to evaluate their skill level, advising on rentals from Mammoth Mountain's top-of-the-line ski and snowboard equipment conveniently available to guests at the hotel and liaising with the property’s ski valet, who stores guests’ equipment between runs.

Further proof of the increasing attraction to adventure travel, the concierge team at The Westin Resort & Spa in Whistler more frequently plans helicopter tours, skiing or cycling excursions than they do booking spa appointments and restaurant reservations.

Westin Continues to Sprint Forward, Keeping Travelers Fit on the Road

Today Westin boasts nearly 200 Run Concierges globally, who host group runs for guests and encourage runners of all levels to grab a runWESTIN™ map with scenic routes through cities, along beachfronts and amid rural landscapes. This is complemented by the brand’s Gear Lending program, which allows guests to pack light and stay fit with New Balance® shoes and clothing for guests to use during their stay.

With the brand’s mission to be a partner in their guests’ well-being – before, during, and after their stay – Westin has most recently introduced a partnership with FitStar™ by Fitbit® allowing guests and associates to maintain their exercise routines when and where it works for them.

For more information, please visit: www.westin.com/movewell.

About Westin Hotels & Resorts

Westin Hotels & Resorts, a leader in wellness and hospitality for more than a decade, lives its philosophy “For a Better You™” through the Westin Well-being Movement’s six pillars: Feel Well, Work Well, Move Well, Eat Well, Sleep Well and Play Well. At more than 200 hotels and resorts in nearly 40 countries and territories, guests can experience offerings that include the iconic Heavenly® Bed, RunWESTIN™ and Westin Gear Lending with New Balance®, delicious and nutritious SuperFoodsRx™, the innovative workspace Tangent, Westin Weekend signature experiences, and Heavenly Bath and Heavenly Spa. Westin is proud to offer Starwood Preferred Guest®, the industry’s leading loyalty program. To learn more, visit www.starwoodhotels.com/westin. Stay connected to Westin: @westin on Twitter and Instagram and facebook.com/Westin.

SOURCE Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Inc.

Media Contact:

Samantha Lacher 
for Westin Hotels & Resorts 
212.528.1691
SLacher@MFALTD.com

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