Hospitality Design - July 2017 - 62

perspectives

brand identity marriott

Villas at the St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort
by WOW Architects boast private pools

Yabu Pushelberg's tranquil guestroom in Las Alcobas,
a Luxury Collection Hotel in Napa Valley

in the Luxury Collection truly
reflect their destination, Autograph
Collection hotels focus on one-ofa-kind immersive design stories,
while Tribute Portfolio hotels rally
around engaging social spaces. We
think about Autograph Collection
and Tribute Portfolio not so much as
brands but as collections of wonderful,
high-personality independent hotels,
where the brand is the local hotel
in the market and the Autograph
Collection is the canvas that showcases
and celebrates these amazing
hotels. While other companies are
marketing collection brands as simply
independent hotels, each of these
brands has a distinct personality and a
compelling point of view that appeals to
a specific customer expectation, which
is then brought to life by the expertise
of the brand's organization through programming,
design, and marketing. This is one of the key
differences of Marriott's collection brands, and an
advantage as we focus on driving awareness and
loyalty. We certainty see a strong future for these
three brands. Consumers are seeking authentic
experiences that reflect their destination-and
independent hotel owners increasingly want to
leverage the power of Marriott's platforms.
Marriott currently has more than 240
independent hotels under its three distinctive
collection brands-the Luxury Collection,
Autograph Collection Hotels, and Tribute
Portfolio-and that is poised to grow nearly 50
percent over the next three years. In 2017 alone,
the three brands are expected to grow 20 percent
(or over 40 hotels and resorts) across the globe,
further expanding the portfolio's reach to 50
countries and territories.

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July 2017 hospitalitydesign.com

The curvaceous metallic exterior of the Hotel Marqués de Riscalin
Spain, a Luxury Collection Hotel, from architect Frank Gehry

There's been a lot of talk and
speculation that 30 brands for one hotel
company is too many.
Our strengths lie in the fact that we now have
the opportunity to better define each one.
Having [so many] brands actually forces us to
be even more disciplined about keeping the
brands distinct. Consider our Element brand.
In January, we unveiled to the development
community and consumers the industry's first
communal room concept. For the extended stay
segment, this will help distinguish the brand
from competitors as well as our other brands.

For our readers, what does this merger
mean to them, in terms of opportunities
and perhaps challenges?
The merger represents incredible opportunity
to the design community, just as it does for

our associates, development partners, and,
of course, consumers. With 30 brands, we
can now offer more choices and specific
experiences and the design community will
play a key role in bringing this to life and
ensuring that brand essence is pulled through.
After all, design is the physical manifestation
of the brand and a very important way we keep
our brands unique, distinct, and relevant.
With that opportunity, however, comes the
challenge of ensuring that our brands speak
to specific customers-whether people who
love local craft beer and local art, or prefer a
comfortable, reliable hotel where they can
get their work done. The key is to avoid
overlap, and we are working hard to make
sure we do.
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Hospitality Design - July 2017

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