Marriott is continuing its offensive in the mid-range hotel sector. In addition to its domination of the luxury segment with brands such as Ritz-Carlton, St Regis and W Hotels, the American hotelier has been working in recent years to perfect its range of affordable establishments. This a global and regional strategy This included the acquisition of a Mexican group which formed the basis of its brand City Express by Marriott deployed throughout the Americas, including the United States. At the same time, in autumn 2023, the world's leading hotel group has also launched Four Points Express by Sheraton in Europe and Asia.
It is on the latter continent that a new regional brand, Series by Marriott, has just been unveiled. Like the collector's brandsThis is based on a more flexible affiliation system that preserves the independent nature of the establishments and their ownership group, while giving them the commercial firepower of a group that has more than 235 million members in its Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programme.
The first market targeted by Series by Marriott is not an insignificant one, since it involves IndiaThis is an area where international groups have long found it difficult to make inroads, but where new opportunities are opening up. Like the recent partnership between Accor with the parent company of IndiGothe InterGlobe conglomerate, to accelerate its expansion in India.
For its part, Marriott has turned to one of India's leading hotel management companies, Concept Hospitality Private Limited (CHPL), whose majority shareholder is the conglomerate CG Corp Global, but in which Marriott will have a limited stake. " We are delighted to be partnering with the world's largest hospitality company to drive a new era of growth in India's mid-market segment.said Param Kannampilly, Chairman of CHPL. Our vision is to unlock the immense potential of secondary and tertiary cities, as well as lesser-known destinations across India."
Founded in 1996, CHPL has a portfolio of six brands, including The Fern, The Fern Residency and The Fern Habitat. On the strength of 84 hotels opened and around thirty others in development, The Fern establishments will gradually join the Marriott network by becoming affiliated to Series by Marriott,
However, the launch of this new mid-range collection brand is on a global scale. " We see this multi-unit conversion agreement as a solid foundation as we look to accelerate the growth of the Series by Marriott collection on additional markets around the world" said Anthony Capuano, CEO of Marriott International. Other well-established local players are also likely to join the ranks of Series by Marriott, with the American group reporting active discussions with owners in the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
