Westin Hotels is known for its distinctive and personal service to guests. Founded in 1930, the company has 120 premium properties worldwide. Their innovative “renewal services” set the standard throughout the hospitality industry. However, in 1991, the repeated sale of the company had taken a large toll. Employees suffered low morale and were not willing to be accountable. Managers lacked vision. The result was a decline in quality and profits. Westin was no longer attractive to buyers.
To reclaim their historic level of success, Westin Hotels decided to make HP2 a key part of their management development process. Over three years we established a sustainable culture of excellence, focusing on communication, competence, and accountability. We worked with managers to install innovative practices and flexibility. Our customized approach created a climate of peak performance that would be maintained through major corporate changes.
The work paid off. Westin's managers reported strong results from the new practices. There was reduced turnover in management and performance and profits increased. Further, Westin was able to again provide the distinctive and innovative offerings to their guests for which they were known. When we had completed our work, Westin became attractive to buyers. It was acquired by Starwood® in 1994 and remains with them over ten years later. Westin celebrated its 75 th anniversary in 2005. It is widely recognized as an industry innovator.