Marriott, Schrager team up for new brand

Marriott International, Inc. is partnering with Ian Schrager, the boutique hotel impresario, to create a new brand of up to 100 hotels.

“Nobody has done what Ian has been able to do with his hotels time and again, and he is the perfect partner to help us create and launch a new, modern genre of hotel,” said J. W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and CEO of Marriott International. He added:

“These hotels will be an excellent complement to the Marriott portfolio of brands and allow us to use our global platform and ability to execute to create something completely new, different and original  —  the first truly global branded boutique lifestyle hotel on a large scale. We expect the brand to set the standard for decades to come.”

The company said the new hotels, not yet named, will combine the personal, intimate, individualized and unique lodging experience that Schrager created with Marriott’s operational expertise on a global scale.

The new brand is a response to new cultural and social imperatives that Schrager says have emerged.

 “Together Marriott and I have a new vision and plan to radically rethink and catapult the lifestyle boutique hotel into the present by capturing the spirit of the times,” said Mr Schrager.

“People today are sophisticated and they understand good design, quality, originality and commitment to excellence. They will not accept something derivative and they want the ethos and soul of a hotel to be authentic and have character. They also expect and deserve impeccable, modern and gracious personalized service that is at the same time luxurious yet down to earth.”

The hotels will be located in gateway cities throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia.

The initial list of markets to be explored includes New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, Boston, and Las Vegas in the U.S.; London, Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan and Rome in Europe; and Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Bangkok, Seoul and Tokyo in Asia. 

The new partners say they expect these one-of-a-kind, 150-to-250 room hotels to be not just the most aesthetically pleasing in their markets but to be the most environmentally responsible as well.

The partners will divide responsibilities for rolling out the brand, with Mr Schrager leading the effort on concept, design, marketing, branding and food and beverage.

The Marriott company will oversee the development process, and operate and manage the completed hotels.

Report by David Wilkening