Editorial Board   Guest Author

Ms. Lipton

Sarah Lipton

Senior Global Brand Director, Westin Hotels & Resorts

Sarah Lipton has been building hotel brands at Starwood Hotels and Marriott International for her entire career. In her role as the Senior Global Brand Director for Westin Hotels & Resorts, Ms. Lipton is responsible for developing the strategic global initiatives for Marriott's wellness-focused, Premium Distinctive lifestyle brand. Ms. Lipton manages the brand's positioning as well as developing strategic programs, offerings and partnerships, while continuing to direct the overall brand management, integrity and positioning of the Westin brand and its robust portfolio of more than 225 hotels and resorts all across the world. She drives the global marketing strategy, guest experience, standards and communications programs for Westin.

Ms. Lipton has been a pivotal contributor on six global brand teams, having managed initiatives for Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Four Points by Sheraton, Element Hotels, Aloft Hotels, Le Meridien Hotels and Westin Hotels & Resorts. She has led numerous essential marketing initiatives, including the launch of Westin's Well-Being Movement in 2014, and more recently, Westin's new global brand campaign, Let's Rise, which takes on the disruptions of travel and empowers guests to be their best selves during their stay through wellness. She also helped cultivate many signature experiential innovations to drive meaningful and differentiated experiences for guests and associates including Westin's partnerships with top-tier fitness brands including Peloton and TRX, Westin's global portfolio of active Run Concierges, and the RunWestin program just to name a few.

Ms. Lipton is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis and resides in New York City with her family.


Please visit http://www.westin.com for more information.

Ms. Lipton can be contacted at 914-640-8100 or sarah.lipton@westin.com

Coming up in January 2020...

Mobile Technology: Meeting Tech Expectations

What once seemed futuristic is now the norm, owing to the escalating developments in mobile technology, and hotels must continue to innovate in order to meet guest expectations. In a recent study from Mower, 65 percent of guests said they would gladly pay more for a hotel that provides the mobile technology they deem essential. The same study shows that 44 percent of travelers are more likely to book a smart hotel, and nearly 7 in 10 want to use smart devices provided by the hotel. And how do guests wish to use all this technology? A majority expressed a desire for mobile check-in and check-out, and mobile payment options. They also want to be able to stream content from their phone to the TV; to make service requests of the hotel staff; to control in-room lighting, temperature and sound; to order food and beverages; and to request a wake-up call - all from their mobile device. Guests also expressed preferences for robust wi-fi and convenient device charging ports throughout the hotel. They also appreciate the use of hotel branded apps which allow a guest to book a room, access loyalty programs, receive discounts and rewards, and even use the app to choose the room, floor and view they prefer. Some hotel apps also allow a customer to track their charges throughout their stay, rather than waiting to receive a bill at the end. Finally, mobile tech lounges are popping up more frequently in some hotels. These lounges offer guests the opportunity to perform tasks like airline check-ins or access to local info guides, but they also provide a place where guests can comfortably get some work done outside their room. The January Hotel Business Review will report on what some hotels are doing to meet their customers' expectations in the mobile technology space.

Click here to Subscribe
Copyright © 1996-2019. All content on HotelExecutive.com. All Rights Reserved.