Marriott has plans to increase the number and awareness of its serviced apartment brands in Europe.
Speaking ahead of the Serviced Apartment Summit in London this week, the hotel group said it hopes to double the number of Marriott Executive Apartment (MEA) properties by 2020, reaching 52, while several sites are being looked at for the Residence Inn brand.
The growth will focus on Europe, although other openings are in the pipeline for Africa and the Middle East. New developments will often be combined with Marriott’s more traditional hotel brands, such as Courtyard by Marriott, to get governments and locals onboard.
As Diane Mayer, VP global brand manager for Residence Inn explained: “Development is controlled in emerging markets so these dual, triple or quad-developments can be an anchor. The guest experience in multi-brand products is usually better not only from a back of house perspective but they are also able to share the gym and pool (meaning it’s larger); dining options and amenities.”
The ‘campus style’ developments are meaning the brands’ openings are becoming more urban, with 40% of the MEA pipeline for city environments.
In Europe its openings are likely to be in converted buildings, with Residence Inn eyeing sites in France, Germany, Turkey, Spain and Eastern Europe.
Loren Nalewanski, VP global brand management at Marriott Executive Apartments said: “Birmingham or Manchester could be perfect for Residence Inn and there are amazing growth opportunities for us in the UK.”
Mayer added: “The Edinburgh Residence Inn has had a boom with occupancy at around 86%, and we have a property opening in Sarajevo next year. In the emerging countries you’ll see development from five-star to two-star but in the US and Europe the mid-tier is not so well-developed so there are tonnes of opportunities here.”
However Mayer said the serviced apartment sector still needs to clarify the language it uses to the trade and customers to raise awareness of the product.
“Many don’t understand the concept of serviced apartments so we must start to try and standardise the language,” she told Travel Daily. “We are not always top of mind so as we grow we have to make it clear about what makes a serviced apartment different from a hotel.”
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