Knowing how to be flexible. That's not the least of its qualities, as the Marriott group has demonstrated by changing the name of its brand. Four Points Express by Sheratonrecently launched in Europe. A few months after the opening of the first establishments in London, as well as in Istanbul, Bursa and Antalya in Turkey, the brand designed to increase the American group's footprint in the European mid-range hotel sector becomes Four Points Flex by Sheraton.
Was the old name too close to a rival brand, Holiday Inn Express? Perhaps. Does the new name better describe an offer focused on functional, affordable hotels? Quite possibly. " As we develop our mid-market portfolio in EMEA, this Four Points Flex by Sheraton brand clearly represents what this product embodies and will meet the many and varied needs of our customers for affordable, convenient and accessible accommodation." said a Marriott International spokesperson.
The unveiling of this new name is accompanied by a number of developments that will accelerate the deployment of the brand. Zleep Hotels, Sleeperz: these two brands will soon be part of Four Points Flex by Sheraton. Between now and the end of the year, most of the 14 Zleep Hotels in Denmark will feature the brand and will be available for booking through Marriott's distribution channels, with the others following suit a little later. " We are leaders in our category, but we needed a new way to unlock new value potential for our hotels".says Peter Haaber, founder of the Zleep brand and CEO of hotel management company Core Hospitality. In this case, the attractiveness of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programme and the commercial power of Marriott.
For Axel Steinbach, Director of Development for the American group in Scandinavia, this franchise agreement marks " an important milestone for Marriott International in the Nordics, where we continue to see opportunities to diversify and grow our portfolio" . The group gained 1,500 rooms, but above all established itself in ten new marketsThese include Aalborg, Aarhus, Lyngby and Velje, while strengthening its position in Copenhagen by offering new affordable accommodation solutions to its loyal customers.
Similarly, after its first hotel in the UK, in London Euston, Four Points Flex by Sheraton will be extending its network to other major cities in the country. The British group Resident Hotels, which has been a shareholder in Sleeperz Hotels since 2022, has just signed a franchise agreement for the conversion of its four mid-range hotels: the Sleeperz Hotels in London Euston and the Sleeperz Hotels in London Euston. Cardiff, Dundee and Newcastle and CityRoomz in Edinburgh.
All located in city centres or close to train stations, these establishments will undergo a series of renovations before being rebranded in 2025. " Having reviewed the portfolio, the launch of Marriott's new mid-market brand was the right move and we are working closely with them to establish an operating platform from which to develop this innovative and conversion-friendly brand." said David Orr, CEO of Resident Hotels.
While Marriott has a well-established position in Europe's major cities with its top-of-the-range brands, Four Points Flex by Sheraton gives it a new asset to build on. building its network in regional towns. Hence the growing attraction of the American hotelier for the mid-range segment, not only in Europe, but also on the other side of the Atlantic where the group has just announced the expansion in the United States and Canada of the City Express by Marriott brand, previously concentrated on Latin America.
