Luxury, design and an ideal location overlooking the Gulf of Mexico: the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort in Florida has just been added to Marriott's already impressive portfolio of luxury hotels, with more than 500 establishments worldwide and some 250 future projects. This is a key opening, as this new 168-room resort enables the American group to reach a symbolic milestone: " It is particularly welcome that this magnificent hotel is the 9000e building our portfolio" said Anthony Capuano, CEO of Marriott International.
For the record, Marriott passed the 8,000 mark in March 2022 with the inauguration of the Marriott Bethesda Downtown at Marriott HQThis is in line with the development of the Group's new headquarters in the suburbs of Washington DC. It has taken just over two years to go from one milestone to the next, a clear sign of the Group's growth as strong as ever - +4.8% last year - for the world leader which has over one and a half million rooms.
The summer of 2024 also saw the American hotelier pass another important milestone, that of the 600 establishments in Asia-Pacific (excluding China) with the opening of a Marriott hotel in Adelaide, in the former post office of the Australian metropolis. This historic building, dating back 150 years, will be complemented by a 14-storey tower with 285 rooms. At a time when the Group has announced 400 projects in this region, it is giving itself a new source of growth with the recent announcement of its intention to enter the mid-range hotel sector. " This gives us more opportunities to extend the presence of our portfolio into new markets and beyond the main gateways." said Rajeev Menon, President of Marriott International for Asia-Pacific, excluding China.
Going the extra mile for long stays
At the same time, Marriott is also pursuing its expansion in the long-stay segment with the recent signing of a long-term licence agreement with Sonder Holdingsspecialising in contemporary-design residential flats and small boutique hotels. An American player with a portfolio of 9,000 flats in 200 establishments in some forty cities around the world. These include most of North America's major cities, as well as Dubai in the Middle East and several European business destinations. These include Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Madrid, Milan, Nice, Paris, Rome and Rotterdam, as well as Cannes, Megève, Florence and Venice.
Founded in 2014, listed on the NASDAQ in 2022, but facing financial difficulties, Sonder is entering the protective fold of the American group and the commercial power of its loyalty programme. Between now and the end of the year, these 9,000 flats will be integrated into its distribution system under a new collection called " Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy ".
With 1,500 new flats in the Sonder pipeline, this collection is set to grow en addition to Marriott's other long-stay offersin particular Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy - its Airbnb-type offering - or its extended stay brands such as Residence Inn. " We are delighted to add the Sonder portfolio to our system, which will expand our portfolio of long-term accommodation in key markets around the world." said Tim Grisius, Head of Mergers & Acquisitions and Real Estate for Marriott International.
