Here at HeBS we firmly believe that a comprehensive, ROI-centric Internet marketing strategy is the hotelier's perfect "survival tool" in the current economic environment. In the difficult year we expect 2009 to be, a well-executed Internet marketing strategy can help smart hoteliers generate incremental revenues, improve marketing ROIs, retain existing and attract more affluent travelers, and out-smart the competition. For the past almost 14 years, our experience shows that Internet-savvy hoteliers with robust Direct Online Channel strategies are the winners in economic downturns like this one.
SBE recently announced plans for the launch of its new luxury hotel concept, to be called SLS Hotels. The first SLS property will be operated under a management agreement with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT). As part of the agreement, The Le Meridien at Beverly Hills will undergo a complete transformation and emerge as SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills, part of The Luxury Collection in fall 2008, which will offer guests exceptional experiences indigenous to Los Angeles. The luxury SLS group will ultimately include hotels and resorts in the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. The announcement was made by SBE CEO Sam Nazarian.