NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Media Contact:
Jean Dickinson
(808) 921-4040
[email protected]
STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS IN HAWAII WINS THE 2016 GAY TRAVEL AWARD FOR HOTEL COLLECTION OF THE YEAR
HONOLULU – Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Hawaii has been named Hotel Collection of the Year by GayTravel.com — a trusted resource for LGBT travelers across the globe.
This is the inaugural year for the awards, which recognize global travel and hospitality providers that exemplify the spirit of inclusiveness, as well as innovators that constantly improve their amenities and service levels for the LGBT community.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Hawaii has supported and served the LGBT community for many decades. It was recognized because the spirit of inclusiveness and aloha was evident across each and every one of its 11 Hawaii resorts, which were personally visited and experienced by the GayTravel.com editors, gurus and travel experts. In addition, Starwood Hotels & Resorts offers a robust suite of digital products where travelers can research, plan, and book memorable, lifetime travel experiences. A 12th resort, The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, situated on Maui’s famed Kaanapali Beach, will open on April 15 of this year.
GayTravel Chief Visionary Officer Steve Rohrlick said, “There is no more deserving recipient of our hotel collection award than Starwood Hotels in Hawaii. Each of its resorts possesses a unique personality while sharing an enticing blend of natural beauty along with a warm and accepting culture.”
“We are thrilled to have been selected for this award as we always strive to do what is ‘pono,’ or right,” said Kelly Sanders, area general manager for Starwood Hotels in Hawaii. “Welcoming our friends, brothers and sisters from around the world with open arms is truly what ‘aloha’ represents.”
According to Rohrlick, “The goal of the GayTravel Awards is two-fold: first, to recognize and showcase select inclusive travel-related companies and destinations that resonate with our discerning audience; and second, to inspire other companies and brands around the world to continually raise their service levels and amenities while encouraging a broad spirit of inclusiveness. Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Hawaii epitomizes these values.”
About the Gay Travel Awards:
The mission of the Gay Travel Awards is to recognize and promote select destinations and travel-related companies around the globe. These distinguished organizations lead by example and help to inspire other companies and brands around the world to follow their spirit of inclusiveness as well as to constantly improve their amenities and service levels for the LGBT community. For more information on the awards, please visit: www.gaytravelawards.com
About GayTravel:
The GayTravel brand is widely considered the equivalent of the “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval” among LGBT travelers – a trust that has been forged over 20 years. GayTravel provides its audience with valuable resources to help them plan memorable travel experiences. Millions of LGBT travelers rely on GayTravel each year for the best places to stay, the best tours and cruises, the latest events and the hottest dining and nightlife trends. The company connects its loyal and affluent audience with hand-selected travel partners in a meaningful and relevant way. GayTravel.com maintains the #1 organic search result on Google, Yahoo! and Bing for “gay travel.” GayTravel, along with their GayTravel Celebrity Gurus, has the largest social media following of any LGBT travel company. The U.S. Department of State has sought GayTravel’s feedback in developing safe protocols for LGBT travelers abroad. GayTravel has been featured in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Smart Money Magazine. For more information about GayTravel, please visit: www.gaytravel.com
Starwood Hotels & Resorts is owned by Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR), the world’s largest hotel company, based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA with more than 5,700 properties in over 110 countries. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts. The company’s 30 leading brands include: Bulgari®, The Ritz-Carlton® and The Ritz-Carlton Reserve®, St. Regis®, W®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, The Luxury Collection®, Marriott Hotels®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Renaissance® Hotels, Sheraton®, Delta Hotels by MarriottSM, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Tribute Portfolio™, Design Hotels™, Gaylord Hotels®, Courtyard®, Four Points® by Sheraton, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, Residence Inn®, TownePlace Suites®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Aloft®, Element®, Moxy® Hotels, and Protea Hotels by Marriott®. The company also operates award-winning loyalty programs: Marriott Rewards®, which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards®, and Starwood Preferred Guest®. For more information, please visit the website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com and @MarriottIntl.
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