The Leading Hotels of the World continues to celebrate its 85th anniversary year with the launch of its newly redesigned website, LHW.com. 

The site has an entirely different look and feel, enhanced functionalities, and richer, more in-depth content. 

Completely rebuilt from the ground up, it operates on a state-of-the-art hardware platform and employs the latest techniques in web programming.

The start of a totally new digital strategy, the site works as an aggregation and distribution point for the company’s member hotels, and offers rich educational and inspirational content.

The progressive, fluid design, inspired by print techniques, was created with the iPad and other tablets in mind.

Phil Koserowski, vice president of interactive marketing explained: “The website is really the first step in the evolution of our digital strategy which will reach consumers across multiple touch points and multiple devices including web, social, online media, eCRM and other emerging channels.

“With this new platform in place we will continue to add some very exciting content and functionality throughout the year, including a smart phone/mobile extension of the site, a robust community for our Leaders Club members, and additional content for our consumers.”

Not simply a facelift, the redesign is the result of an intensive global research and development project that relied heavily on user evaluation and input, including call centre interviews, a survey on the existing LHW.com and usability testing of one of the early prototypes.

Members of Leaders Club – the company’s high-value customer loyalty program – as well as a broad sampling of other affluent travellers in six countries were engaged to express what they were looking for in an improved website.