A global gathering of GMs

The group also announced corporate plans for the next year, and the appointment of 350 Club managers to its Sheraton Club lounges worldwide. Sheraton Club is now a $500 million business, driving 15-20 percent of total revenue at each Sheraton and far exceeding initial forecasts for the premium upgrade offering from Starwood's largest and most global brand.

"The appointment of hundreds of dedicated Club Managers highlights the fact that we remain focused on improving the signature Sheraton Club experience, which is now a leading source of revenue for the brand," says Harper. "Club managers will deliver meaningful, personalized service that will build loyalty with premium business and leisure customers and give travelers another compelling reason to choose Sheraton."

Managers gathered at the Seattle Convention also got a chance to hear from Starwood Hotels & Resorts president and CEO Frits von Paasschen, who gave the meeting a brief rundown on the Sheraton's past, present and future, emphasizing the importance of the brand within the Starwood family of hotels.

Sheraton suits also got to hear from many of the brand's partners, including the people who work with the group on its fitness program, but there was one speaker they will not forget for a long time.

Starbucks chairman, president and CEO Howard Schultz was a keynote speaker at the Convention and he shared his company's history with the gathering, including how he handled its mid-life crisis in 2008 when the company teetered on the edge of insolvency.

Love and humanity were the magic words that helped Starbucks conquer the odds, Schultz said, and an unbreakable connection with the community. He also shared an anecdote on his encounter with a wise rabbi who asked him what the Holocaust meant.

"It's sharing a blanket with five other men, women and children when only one blanket is issued for one out of every six prisoners."

Schultz left the managers with a reminder that they needed to share their blankets by giving jobs to the young men and women who have gone abroad to fight for the country, and their response was to give him a standing ovation.

Besides all the heart-warming motivational messages, Sheraton managers also each left with a present from Harper, who took a look at Lenovo's latest Thinkpad 8 running on Windows 8.1 and said: "I want it".

He got it and so did all his managers, who each left for home with one in their suitcase, connected and with all the conference notes uploaded. The gadget is not even on the market yet.

While the general managers were serious about sharing and learning, they were also enjoying the sights and sounds of Seattle.

By Thursday evening, they were flying home in batches, including those from China, energized and ready to face yet another year of steady expansion and reinforcement of the Sheraton brand.