Long before Marriott took over Starwood, Sheraton was arguably Starwood’s most challenging brand. In my opinion the Sheraton brand just doesn’t really stand for anything, is incredibly generic, and has such huge variance in terms of the quality of hotels.
This is something that came to the forefront even more when Marriott took over Starwood, given that they have 30 brands, so there’s even more desire to clearly define the brands.
So Sheraton has been on a transformation path, though it’s happening slowly. With this we’re seeing quite a few hotels be renovated, and some of them are getting the “Sheraton Grand” branding (and some of these hotels are actually nice).
As part of this journey for the brand, today Sheraton has unveiled their new logo. I’m always amused by how brands introduce new logos and then provide a deep explanation of the meaning behind it, as if the logo somehow actually reflects it.
As it’s described:
The new design reflects the brand’s holistic vision for the future, making Sheraton the central gathering place of communities around the world, welcoming guests and locals into a public space that embodies the modern town square vibe.
Here’s the new logo:
Marriott’s VP of Global Brand Marketing for Classic Premium Brands (my goodness, Marriott has a lot of divisions) said the following about the new logo:
“The logo’s evolution reflects the renewed energy and firm commitment we are making to our owners and guests to the resurgence of this iconic brand. More than a logo, this is a symbolic statement of Sheraton’s vision for our new guest experience. This was the final piece of the redesign puzzle. This new logo offers a modernized look and feel to match the reimagined space while maintaining the powerful equity and recognition of the original logo.”
The first Sheraton to feature the new full-on strategy will be the 1,000 room Sheraton Grand Phoenix later this year. It was purchased in 2018, and will “serve as a living and breathing lab, showcasing design and activations, using new technology and insights that bring a unique community vibe to the space.”
For context, here’s what the old Sheraton logo looked like:
While I’ve been critical of many Marriott branding choices, I like the new Sheraton logo. This is a case where to me the logo actually looks updated and refreshed and more modern, without being completely reinvented. I’m a fan.
What do you make of Sheraton’s new logo?
By and large I'd take a Sheraton over a Marriott any day. The whole Bonvoy launch is beyond ridiculous and I'm in agreement with earlier posts that points, etc... are not posting correctly nor does Marriott seem to consider consistency in offerings a high priority. Put me down for the old logo and and while I'm at it put me down for wishing this merger never happened!
I am at the best Sheraton in the chain right now, amused by the Bonvoy phamplets laid around. Bonvoy cheapens an otherwise stellar experience. Marriott Futian Shenzhen for the win any day.
There's no better way to say F* you to customers, than to repackage/rebrand the same old crappy product. It is tantamount to declaring: "you're so stupid, we can serve you the same crap, and you'll buy it just because we put a different label on it."
They should fire a bunch of marketing people and use the savings to upgrade their failing IT department.
i like the new font but i prefer the laurel crown of the old logo
I relate to the old brand. The Sheraton Jumeirah Beach was great back in the 90's and a Sheraton Nile Cruise was 'unforgettable'
The Sheraton Gold Card was my first BMSPG loyalty card - much good as it was.
The Intercontinental 6 Continents Club soon followed and was excellent
Old logo at least reminded me of Caesar's Palace. New logo reminds me of...well...nothing.
I think the new logo/rebranding is generally a good step, but the really important realization for Marriott now should be that only the international Sheratons remain at the historical, iconic reputation and status that Marriott is trying to rejuvenate. The US brand properties are mostly tired and have an unsalvageable reputation. Why not recognize that and rebrand just the overseas properties as the new Sheraton and bring the updated/renovated US properties in under the banner...
I think the new logo/rebranding is generally a good step, but the really important realization for Marriott now should be that only the international Sheratons remain at the historical, iconic reputation and status that Marriott is trying to rejuvenate. The US brand properties are mostly tired and have an unsalvageable reputation. Why not recognize that and rebrand just the overseas properties as the new Sheraton and bring the updated/renovated US properties in under the banner of an appropriate domestic brand? (I decline to give my opinion of which might be appropriate).
Come on Marriott, you can do better.
I like the new typeface, and there's something faintly art deco about it, which works with 1937.
The laurel reimagined as -- a baseball? Is a little weird.
"The new design reflects the brand’s holistic vision for the future, making Sheraton the central gathering place of communities around the world, welcoming guests and locals into a public space that embodies the modern town square vibe."
They forgot to throw "currated" in the word salad. Can't have a marketing blurb these days without adding "currated" to it.
There are a few decent Sheratons- Wildhorse Pass- Maui is OK
I actually like the new logo
Don’t like the fact that the two S letters aren’t the same font, like they were on the old one. Can’t unsee it...
To the comment on bonvoying it up, completely agree. Raise the 'o' and stick an orange line under it :-)
I for one really like the old logo...
Can't those marketing people at Marriott just go along and call Bonvoy Ambassador: Bonvoy with an Envoy.
The logo is fine. However, rather than "re-imagined', the slogan should be "re-imaged" because it is all about the company's appearance or "image" (read: visual perception) at this point, while actual *substance* still lags considerably...
In the old logo, the S was formatted consistently in the icon and the word. Now they are inconsistent -- which ironically is the Sheraton experience.
@Ivan X
Logo updates only make sense to the point that a change in logo signals something about a change or refresh in brand direction or something.
But that corporate speak? I'm surprise it took so many comments before someone (you) called it out. My god, that stuff is terrible.
The new logo is interesting as all the arrow designs point towards the letter S. I guess they really want us to notice the letter S! :)
The company just spent over $250k with an outside marketing firm to come up with a logo, vision, mission and goals for the future. At the end of the day for us customers, not much has changed.
I like the design it seems more modern but also has historic weight to it with the reference to when the brand was established. Can't get any worse really, all around. The newly refurbished Sheraton Centro Historico was head and shoulders above what it used to be so hopefully a sign of new and better days ahead.
Not great but they didn't Bonvoy it up.
I have to agree with you, Lucky. I've worked for a major advertising agency for more than three decades and have seen some brand relaunches succeed and others fail horribly. Sheraton's old logo felt very 1950's. The typeface was tired and the laurel leaf icon felt straight out of Caesar's Palace. The new logo feels fresher, modern and more upscale. I'm about to stay at two Sheraton's in Asia: Hong Kong and Hanoi, and I...
I have to agree with you, Lucky. I've worked for a major advertising agency for more than three decades and have seen some brand relaunches succeed and others fail horribly. Sheraton's old logo felt very 1950's. The typeface was tired and the laurel leaf icon felt straight out of Caesar's Palace. The new logo feels fresher, modern and more upscale. I'm about to stay at two Sheraton's in Asia: Hong Kong and Hanoi, and I hope some of the modernization has hit there. I've stayed at some great Sheratons (Sydney) and some really sad ones (Mexico City & Tel Aviv) and hope that the new logo means a major overhaul.
Sheraton along with Hilton were the two top global hotel brands for decades. No city was worth it unless it had one, if not both hotels.
Hopefully, Marriott can figure out a way to breathe life back into the storied brand.
The Sheraton in Buenos Aires was for many decades “the hotel”.
People even say:” where do you think you are, at the Sheraton?”
Of course in the past 25 years many five stars hotel arrived and the Sheraton became just a simple hotel.
Three years ago rapper Drake was insulting someone in a song by saying "Y'all sleep at the Sheraton".
LOL!
Not good for brand image.
Nice logo and a fresh update, but the brand's equity is really a thing of the past. Might have made more sense (and cheaper too) to roll it into Marriott and call it a day.
@Kent: According to the website the ITC Maurya in Delhi has been re-branded as a Luxury Collection property? Rajputana and Maratha too...
I enjoy my stays at the ITC Maurya Sheraton in New Delhi immensely, especially to dine at the Bukhara. In addition, I have enjoyed the ITC Maratha and the ITC Rajputana. Of course these are all ITC hotels with partnerships with the Sheraton brand.
Otherwise, I find Sheraton to be a mediocre chain.
Producing another logo is just dumping money into the drain. IT amazes me how much money brand consultants make to come with something very generic. Regarding Sheraton, I agree their hotels got lost in terms of quality and what you can expect of them. However, I can name two really good Sheraton that I stay quite often: Sheraton Seattle and Sheraton Schiphol airport.
@Anon: +1 on your comment about the plethora of brands and lack of differentiation at the 4-star mid-range. I too have a sense that Westin is supposed to be a bit nicer (maybe a 1/4 star better) than Sheraton or Marriott but not sure why I have that impression.
The logo is fine, and better than the old. Meaningless, but at least passably attractive.
The corporatespeak is hilarious. Do these people know what they sound like? Or do they just live inside such a bubble that these empty word salads mean something to them?
I like the new design. The old laurel logo and the font with the serifs felt very 1980s, and not in a fun retro way.
But I do agree that Marriott seems to have too many brands that seem virtually identical, especially in the middle range (or "classic premium" to use their lingo). I can't really tell the difference between the Sheraton, Marriott, Westin, or Renaissance brands. The last two are maybe a bit...
I like the new design. The old laurel logo and the font with the serifs felt very 1980s, and not in a fun retro way.
But I do agree that Marriott seems to have too many brands that seem virtually identical, especially in the middle range (or "classic premium" to use their lingo). I can't really tell the difference between the Sheraton, Marriott, Westin, or Renaissance brands. The last two are maybe a bit nicer, but all four brands in my mind stand for solid mid-range business hotels with a fairly generic and conservative design sense.
Somewhat agree with @Sam, Marriott does need to trim it's brands. They have so many that it's nearly impossible for anyone not in the travel business to keep track of what is what. And, it's not even clear as to what each brand means. In some cases, even the hierarchy is muddled. Residence Inn, Springhill Suites and Townplace Suites. I always assumed they were upscale to downscale in that order. But.....I now see cases where...
Somewhat agree with @Sam, Marriott does need to trim it's brands. They have so many that it's nearly impossible for anyone not in the travel business to keep track of what is what. And, it's not even clear as to what each brand means. In some cases, even the hierarchy is muddled. Residence Inn, Springhill Suites and Townplace Suites. I always assumed they were upscale to downscale in that order. But.....I now see cases where Springhill Suites are more expensive than Residence Inns, even when co-located in one building! Yet in more cases than not, it's the Residence Inn that's more costly. And that's an example that I can easily describe; some of the brands are so muddled that it would take 500 words to describe one from the other.
As for the logo change, I'm not crazy about it. The older Sheraton font dates from the 1970s and the logo is from the 1960s (IIRC). Back then, Sheratons were considered to be fairly upscale hotels, Some still are, but many are hotels that are a run-down shadow of their former selves. If this change (to what I consider to be an uninspired logo) will lead to the brand being refreshed properly, I am all for it.
I agree with you Ben. It seems like a nice re-fresh, albeit predictable. The old serifed font was very popular in the 1980s/1990s while the new non-serifed font is pretty standard these days. I do like what they've done with the laurel leaves though.
I prefer the serif version. The new logo looks like a generic compass. At least now the generic logo matches the generic Sheratons! And why would you take a modern font but then add 'est. 1937' to convey history/classic feel??
scored another ugly Change and Hope for Mar-riot.
Sheraton's are the worst. Consistently more run down and tired than their peers. Why does the brand even exist at this point? How is it different that Marriott? Just a less good Marriott.
The Sheraton Grand concept doesn't really exist in the USA. Why would they want to introduce that and just create even more brand confusion. They already have Sheraton Grand - it's called Westin, JW, Renaissance, Meridien, etc.
Marriott really needs to trim...
Sheraton's are the worst. Consistently more run down and tired than their peers. Why does the brand even exist at this point? How is it different that Marriott? Just a less good Marriott.
The Sheraton Grand concept doesn't really exist in the USA. Why would they want to introduce that and just create even more brand confusion. They already have Sheraton Grand - it's called Westin, JW, Renaissance, Meridien, etc.
Marriott really needs to trim it's brands IMHO. Just too many of them and not clear what any of them stand for.
I like it. Strengthens the brand ties to Ramada, which seems to be what Sheratons usually are.