Marriot International, Inc. officially rolled out its plans to bring its serviced-apartment concept to North America on November 9, 2022. Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, set to oversee the United States and Canada, will operate similarly to the Marriot Executive Apartments brand that’s been operating in Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America for over 26 years.
Stephanie Linnartz, President of Marriot International, emphasized that “travelers planning vacations and long business trips today are seeking more choice in accommodations, and the introduction of Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy responds to those trends while offering developers a premium product backed by our trusted name and distribution platform.”
Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy will distinguish itself from Marriott’s existing extended-stay brands by focusing on premium, luxurious accommodations featuring more space and home-like amenities and products that reflect local neighborhoods.
Each apartment will come equipped with a full kitchen, living room, a mix of 1-2-3 separate bedrooms, and in-unit washer and dryer, which covers three of the top five reasons travelers select apartment-styled rentals according to research done by Phocuswright.
Apartments will also consist of a welcome lounge, gym, and host space. There will be light staffing that will include 1 host and weekly housekeeping.
Rentals via Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy will not have access to traditional hotel services like meeting spaces, retail shopping, and food and beverages.
On the development side, no specific locations have been announced, but Marriott will organize, cultivate, and maintain the properties, however, developers will have flexibility in building new locations or updating existing properties to match the design methodology of its Autograph Collection and Tribute Portfolio accommodation brands.
With the addition of Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International will have more than 30 brands, 8100 properties, and 169 million loyalty members in over 139 countries and territories across 6 continents. Top branded, Marriot-owned hotel chains include Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance Hotels, Sheraton, Courtyard, and Four Points.
Stephanie Linnartz added, “With Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, guests will be able to shop a wider array of accommodation options within the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio, growing their loyalty to the portfolio and its range of brand offerings.”
While AirBnb may have once been a dominate force in the market for long-term stays, the game-changing service has seen recent declines in popularity due to wide-ranging controversies that include hidden cameras, threats of violence from hosts receiving poor reviews, unauthorized parties, and more.
Only time will tell how Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy will compare, and if its designs, products, and services will persuade consumers to switch from what they know and used over the years. What do you think? Are you excited by the new venture from the largest hotel operator in the world?
