Marriott’s on a mission to revamp all 450 Sheraton hotels—beginning with the Sheraton Grand Phoenix.
The Arizona property will be the prototype or “jewel box” for the brand’s revamp once it emerges from extensive renovations near the end of the year or early 2020. Often referred to by insiders as “the beige brand,” the new and improved Sheraton will be more colorful and include varied public spaces for meeting and gathering, including semiprivate studios and pods in the lobby for private calls. Why Phoenix? Reps for the brand say the hotel’s downtown location in the second-fastest growing city in the US seemed a good place to put new concepts into action.
The larger shift in the rebranding centers on community, or bringing people together to work, meet and eat, a clear differentiation from Marriott’s polished and structured format. Groups will find community tables with charging stations, a coffee bar in the lobby, five studios for meetings with tech that can booked from smartphones, a tapas-style restaurant that flows into outdoor space, and a quick-service restaurant with a garage door that opens to the outside. All 1,000 guest rooms will have adjustable tables in lieu of desks, updated lighting and multiple seating options.
And as far as turning the tables on its “beige brand” moniker, the Sheraton Grand Phoenix redesign will focus on a creating stronger sense of place, or implementing elements that reflect the heritage and warm textures of the Southwest.
