I wish Marriott had more brands… said no one ever. But that isn’t stopping Marriott from announcing its newest lodging concept. I’m cautiously excited about this, even if I feel like this doesn’t need yet another new brand.
In this post:
Marriott getting into apartment business… again?
Marriott has announced its expansion into apartment-style accommodations, with the launch of Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott views this as seizing upon growing consumer interest among families and friends seeking more space for stays, propelled by the blending of work and leisure travel.
Marriott already has the Marriott Executive Apartments concept, which is the company’s serviced-apartment brand in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Marriott hopes that this new concept will enhance portfolio growth globally, and bring the serviced-apartment concept to Marriott guests in the United States and Canada.
While details are fairly limited as of now, here’s what we do know about the Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy concept:
- These apartments are being introduced in the upper-upscale and luxury segments, distinguished from existing extended-stay brands
- Apartments will have distinctly designed products reflecting the local neighborhood
- Each apartment will feature a separate living room and bedroom, full kitchen, and in-unit washer and dryer; units will have anywhere from one to three bedrooms
- Unlike Marriott’s existing extended-stay brands, these apartments won’t provide traditional hotel services, such as food and beverage, meeting spaces, and retail
- Marriott will give developers the flexibility to build new properties or convert existing properties, with a design approach similar to Autograph Collection and Tribute Portfolio brands
- The concept will be backed by Marriott’s reservations engine and Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program
Stephanie Linnartz, President of Marriott, describes this concept as follows:
“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. 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.”
What is the point of this, actually?
Why does Marriott need yet another new brand? If I’m understanding this correctly:
- Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy will be different than Marriott Executive Apartments as it will be more focused on the United States and Canada, and these apartments won’t be within existing hotels, but rather will be standalone developments
- Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy will be different from Homes & Villas by Marriott in that the former will actually be managed directly by Marriott, while the latter is just a marketing partnership, and includes more than apartments
I mean, look, as much as I’m tempted to rag on Marriott about the company starting yet another brand, I don’t hate this concept. Homes & Villas by Marriott is a mostly useless marketing partnership, but it sounds like Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy will actually be managed by Marriott, and therefore you’ll be able to earn and redeem points at a good rate, and actually get access to something you can’t get through another home sharing service.
I’m curious to see is what the appetite for this concept will be like among developers. Essentially operating apartments outside of hotels that are exclusively under the Marriott brand isn’t something we’ve otherwise really seen much of before, at least in the United States. If the value proposition is decent, I’d be all for this.
Bottom line
Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy is Marriott’s newest concept. With this, Marriott is hoping to offer luxury apartments in the United States and beyond, which are fully integrated into Marriott Bonvoy. From a loyalty perspective I like this concept, though of course whether or not this proves useful comes down to the execution.
What do you make of Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy?
I wish Marriott Bonvoy the best, but in the past two years, I’ve lost 15 Suite Award nights because they were denied for every stay I tried, I am only a Titanium Elite for the last 5 years, and I know there are many Ambassador level Elites, but it just speaks volumes that they are adding brands, when maybe they out to be focused on providing world-class service in the brands they already own.
I wish Marriott had more brands...
More brands more choices.
What a joke. Just remember, whatever Marriott runs, you are the product and the property owner is the customer.
Personally, I'm waiting for back seats of parked car by Marriott. Or maybe tent encampments by Bonvoy.
How long before we get 'Spare Bedroom by Marriott", where people rent out a room or a couch on the Bonvoy platform.....
Marriott: Taylor Swift is coming to town, we're going to need you to vacate your apartment.
If this prompts AirBnB to start a loyalty program, it’s a good thing!
Another point missed - remember… Marriott is a distribution channel first. So is Hyatt. So is Hilton. So is Wyndham. So are any of the other big brands. Their main completion is not really other brands as much as it is Expedia and Booking.com (and all of their partner sites) and the metasearch folks.
No one is really saying Expedia has too many brands. That’s the mindset to take with adding shelf space like...
Another point missed - remember… Marriott is a distribution channel first. So is Hyatt. So is Hilton. So is Wyndham. So are any of the other big brands. Their main completion is not really other brands as much as it is Expedia and Booking.com (and all of their partner sites) and the metasearch folks.
No one is really saying Expedia has too many brands. That’s the mindset to take with adding shelf space like all the brands are doing.
Being able to say “there isn’t anything I can’t find on Expedia” is common. People use it that way all the time and then jump to the brand to make the actual booking (by Expedia's measure almost 70 percent of the time). That’s what Marriott wants to be able to do create the first stop because there is everyone in one place. (So do all the brands).
So there is no real need to slow brand expansion.
This is where Arne Sorensen and his competing peers created a large paradigm shift and impact in the hotelier business model.
You are missing two key points in this write up.
The first is that they are branding it not just "by Marriott" but "By Marriott Bonvoy" - they are clearing trying to distinguish the brand from competition by including the draw of millions of Bonvoy members - this is clearly designed to appeal to developers who want to ensure their assets are full and at high rates. This is the first time Bonvoy has been...
You are missing two key points in this write up.
The first is that they are branding it not just "by Marriott" but "By Marriott Bonvoy" - they are clearing trying to distinguish the brand from competition by including the draw of millions of Bonvoy members - this is clearly designed to appeal to developers who want to ensure their assets are full and at high rates. This is the first time Bonvoy has been included in a brand.
The other point is that this is not just some glam version of a Residence Inn (which is an oxymoron obviously anyway) or just some new random brand as you suggest. This is a clear swipe at Sonder (bad IPO), The Blueground (stupid name) and MintHouse (good name) who have a very different business model than a typical hotelier - no F&B, often no front desk, shared resi facilities etc. They do offer housekeeping, contrary to the comment from Russ - they are not Airbnb. Moreover, these new brands are doing deals with residential developers rather than typical hotel developers. Clearly, Marriott does not want to miss out on this growing market segment for both developers and guests - but others are far far ahead in footprint and know-how.
These apartments will have curated local experiences unique to this brand including taking out your own trash in a rancid alley, stripping linens off the beds, and making sure you run the dishwasher before you check out.
I run the dishwasher before I check out of a Residence Inn, etc. Doesn’t everyone?
I understand and appreciate the demographic they're going for here, and I'm curious how they'll execute. As a family of 5 it is difficult to find enjoyable properties to stay at. Residence Inn and Towneplace Suites are fine, but have no amenities and are more industrial. Luxury properties are typically focused on regular hotel rooms, with a significant upcharge for a suite that sleeps 5. I would love an accommodation option with multiple rooms for...
I understand and appreciate the demographic they're going for here, and I'm curious how they'll execute. As a family of 5 it is difficult to find enjoyable properties to stay at. Residence Inn and Towneplace Suites are fine, but have no amenities and are more industrial. Luxury properties are typically focused on regular hotel rooms, with a significant upcharge for a suite that sleeps 5. I would love an accommodation option with multiple rooms for the kids, where we can choose between cooking for ourselves or going out to eat, that has more amenities than what is offered by a RI or Towneplace.
Ah, we've finally reached peak Bonvoy. The collision of resort fees AND cleaning fees.
I am pretty sure they are gonna charge us $400-600 a night to stay at those IKEA furniture apartments. Even though I am an Ambassador Elite, I am happy with Airbnb and Sonder, you always find brilliant apartments in central locations for $130-200/night
All we want is guaranteed platinum elite breakfast at all brands.
Marriott: "How about another brand?"