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Westin Hotels Get a (Virtual) Renovation

September 9, 2009 at 4:18 PM | by MsRebecca | 2 Comments

If you're anything like us, you're fans of the Westin Heavenly Bed, and don't mind the Westin Heavenly Bath products either. There's something comfortable and unassuming about the Westin brand, even if it doesn't set your heart racing. Or, as the chain says on its website, Westin is "a haven of serenity" that is "welcoming yet never overwhelming." Next Monday, the brand re-launches Westin.com with those values in mind. But really? We're not sure anything was wrong with the old website.

Here's a screenshot taken from the website today:

And here's one of how the site will look come September 14:

What do you think? (Apart from the fact that single parenting seems to have replaced the nuclear family, pictorially speaking.) Major improvement, or slight design tweak?

Here's another comparison:


Before


After

Westin's publicist tells us that:

The site’s ease of navigation, intuitive and calming design reflect the calming and soothing environment a Westin guest can expect to experience when they arrive at the hotel.

The new look certainly is cleaner and more modern, but as for the easier navigation and improved technology, we'll have to wait and see come Monday.

What do you think? Do you judge a hotel by its website design? Tell us your favorites in the comments below.

Screenshots courtesy Westin

2 Comments

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  1. David Jeffery

    HotelChatter Member

    It's nice but ...

    ... why don't they show pictures of their hotels and not random other pictures?  Isn't that the point of a hotel's website?  Why do I want to see a father and son frolicking on a beach when I'm trying to book a room?  I don't.

    --thirteenright

    September 10, 2009 at 11:02 AM
  1. hartss

    HotelChatter Member

    I agree with David above

    I use all of Starwood's websites a lot and found them easy to navigate and full of useful info, though never enough room pictures.  They should stay focused on the brand, not brandING.  That's what a loyal SPG customer wants, I think.  And the pics they do have should be larger than they are now.  Lastly, they should take some of those marketing $$$ and redirect them toward FREE WI-FI in those pricey (but unassuming) Westins I love so much.
    September 10, 2009 at 2:06 PM

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