Starwood Hotels

Now part of Marriott, Starwood Hotels & Resorts grew through acquisition to become one of the world’s leading hotel companies covering 1,200 properties, 100 countries and over 180,000 employees.  Executives faced two key challenges:  1- Build a common, customer-driven culture across diverse brands (e.g. Westin, Sheraton, W, St. Regis); and 2- Unlock the service and efficiency benefits of a large, global network.

Our first task was to assess the cost and benefit of a global Six Sigma initiative.  After Board approval, Pivotal worked with Starwood’s team to develop and roll-out communications, training, governance processes and support for hotel leadership.  A key feature was to channel efforts so that successes at one location could be shared with other hotels around the world.  Over the course of our partnership, we coached and trained “Belts” of all types and advised leaders worldwide on integrating an improvement mindset into the firm’s DNA.  We developed strong relationships with our Starwood counterparts that continued well after our engagement was complete.

Starwood has credited this effort with significant ROI and service gains—and with their ability to capitalize on such innovative ideas as the Heavenly Bed, a comfort feature that delivered over $20 million in unexpected revenue.  Other wins include “Be Safe,” which saved more than $80 million in workers comp claims, and waste reduction projects that saved $120 million annually while boosting sustainability.