My wife and I are in Las Vegas right now and have learned a few things about an industry leader trying to fit into a niche market.

We’re staying at the Westin — we love Starwood hotels — since we like the experience and wanted to try a place off the strip. I confess that I didn’t do a lot of research until a few days prior to the trip. A few web sites later and I learned that the a few people complained that their rooms were not made up until late in the day. No biggie…

I’ve been to Vegas 4-5 times now. Each time, I stayed at a “Vegas hotel” like the MGM, Rio, etc… These hotels are the pinnacle of cleanliness and order. No dust, no trash, everything is neat. The Las Vegas Westin is not like these hotels. Now, that’s not to say its bad — far from it. But, its not going to be a major property in Vegas.

We’ve found that the hotel has a few problems with plumbing, cleanliness, and staff friendliness, professionalism, and attentiveness. So, instead of a 4 or 5 star hotel like most Westins, this is a 3.

When Starwood planned to enter Vegas, did it choose not to be a major player on purpose? I imagine that it did. They chose to renovate an old hotel and create a Westin with a spa.

The Hilton and the Ritz-Carlton both have resorts in Vegas. Starwood, as a chain, has resort properties, too. What would cause them to choose not to enter Vegas? I do not know.

The business issue must have been studied by some astute planners at Starwood. They must have considered many factors when they decided to enter the city. The only thing I wish they would have done was choose to enter it with the style as their other properties.

When business people choose to enter an established market (like the Westin did in Vegas hotel/casino/resort world capital), they must consider the implications of profit and loss in spreadsheets. I encourage them to also think of the profit and loss of their brand. My wife and I expected more and we’ll not stay here again. It’s not worth the investment of our time and money. The Westin has a dent in its reputation.

Maybe we’ll go to another one in another city to make it up!