Marriott hotels and resorts have a distinctive hierarchy that organizes its brands into four distinct categories, which include Luxury, Premium, Select Service, and Extended Stay.
W Hotels is an elegant brand that blends fashion, music and design to attract trendy travelers. Competing against brands such as The Standard Hotel Group and Morgans Hotel Group.
Luxury
Marriott’s luxury tier is highlighted by Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis hotels as well as Bulgari, an Italian jewelry designer with whom it partners. Pricing typically ranges between categories 5-8 (though this could change based on location or other factors) with these properties offering exceptional services, amenities, and experiences for their travelers.
Skift Take: Although Ian Schrager’s W Hotels might never become “classic”, their brand does have some momentum, particularly in urban markets where they provide stays themed around music, fashion, and design. A brand refresh would likely do wonders.
At the upscale level, Courtyard boasts over 1,300 properties across 65 countries that specialize in fitness and convenience for both business and leisure travelers. Competing against Hilton Garden Inn, Hyatt Place and Holiday Inn hotels. Tribute Portfolio hotels cater specifically to independent travellers looking for unique property features – 24/7 pantries offering baked goods are just one example – while Design Hotels emphasize each destination’s distinctive characteristics while emphasizing style.
Premium
Marriott offers an upscale brand portfolio featuring stylish W Hotels that cater to travelers interested in music, fashion and design. In addition, several Delta Hotels cater more utilitarian travelers who seek free WiFi, modern guest rooms and sustainable bath products.
Marriott also boasts the venerable Sheraton brand, offering quality comfort in locations nationwide. Sheraton hotels are popular among business travelers and frequently feature amenities like full-service restaurants and bars as well as free WiFi connectivity and fitness studios.
Marriott Signature brands include JW Marriotts with global reach and Westin’s commitment to wellness through SuperFoodsRx dishes and fitness studios (WestinWORKOUT). Furthermore, there’s the boutique EDITION brand with muted colors and spotlight-heavy lobbies; both offer sophisticated clientele while simultaneously remaining part of Marriott. Finally, Tribute Portfolio allows independent owners and operators to affiliate with Marriott while still retaining their unique character.
Select Service
Marriott offers consumers an impressive collection of brands that has much to offer; yet their vast offering may prove daunting for frequent travelers trying to understand all their various offerings. The company organizes their hotels into Luxury, Premium and Select service tiers to assist consumers in understanding what each brand offers; within each service tier there are further subdivided Classic and Distinctive hotels within them which feature more unique characteristics. Courtyard hotels stand out as one of the more distinctive Marriott brands, targeting business travelers looking for quality comfort without extra frills. Courtyard offers smart technologies like AI chatbots and room assistant features such as Amazon Alexa to further elevate its business traveler audience. Courtyard has over 1360 properties worldwide.
Extended Stay
Hoteliers have an opportunity to increase profits by catering to longer-staying guests with revenue management software that enables them to set different prices per booking source and distribution channel – this enables them to maximize ROI while drawing in more business travelers.
Candlewood Suites (exclusive to the USA), Marriott International Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites brands offer extended stay hotel stays that provide larger apartments than standard hotel rooms as well as kitchen and living spaces, saving guests time and money by using existing Marriott properties nearby as referral sources for booking referrals and cost efficiencies.
Although extended stays resemble traditional hotels in some ways, their operations differ and accounting practices vary accordingly. While traditional hotels typically authorize credit cards prior to their stay and refund any unused credit upon departure, extended stay hotels typically charge guest’s cards only once during their stay and note the folio due at checkout – due to drawing long-stay demand rather than short-term rental guest segments.
Upscale
Marriott’s bewildering hotel portfolio can be daunting to navigate. Their upscale brands range from luxurious resorts in exotic locales, trendy boutique hotels and the stylish W Hotel chain to upper upscale properties such as Autograph Collection, Canopy Curio Hilton among many others.
Marriott provides full-service amenities to both business travelers and families through their network of 7,000 hotels in 138 countries worldwide, as well as some upscale properties located in lesser known destinations.
Courtyard and Aloft are newer upscale brands of Hilton Worldwide designed for younger travelers seeking modern rooms with eco-friendly bath products and complimentary wifi; these offerings compete directly with chains like DoubleTree and Crowne Plaza.
Sheraton stands out as an appealing option among upper midscale hotels with its meeting spaces and family amenities, competing directly against Hilton, Hyatt and Starwood for business travellers as well as budget travellers looking for budget stays.
Conclusion
Marriott Hotels and Resorts boast a comprehensive hierarchy that caters to diverse traveler preferences and needs. From the iconic luxury of The Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis to the premium experience of brands like JW Marriott and W Hotels, Marriott offers a spectrum of options. The mid-tier segment includes brands such as Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, and Delta, offering quality amenities and services. Moreover, the company’s upper-midscale and midscale brands like Courtyard by Marriott and Fairfield Inn & Suites provide reliable comfort and value.
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