Marriott International Inc, the top US hotel operator, said on Thursday it will create a new brand of boutique hotels, the latest effort by lodging companies to appeal to travellers weary of cookie-cutter accommodations.
Marriott, which manages nearly 2,900 hotels under brands including Fairfield Inn and Ritz-Carlton, is partnering on the as-yet-unnamed brand with Ian Schrager. Schrager, the style entrepreneur credited with helping to introduce the boutique hotel concept with New York's Morgans Hotel in 1984, made his name in the late 1970s by creating the famed Studio 54 night-club with his late partner Steve Rubell.
He has since developed high-end residences and hotels like the Gramercy Park Hotel in New York. "We studied it (creating a boutique brand), looked at it, and decided we needed someone who really knew the business, so why not the guy who invented it?," said J.W. "Bill" Marriott, the hotel company's chief executive.
Marriott and Schrager aim to have five development deals signed by the end of year and are seeking to open 100 hotels within 10 years. The boutique hotel chain will not require a major financial investment, Marriott said. The hotels typically will be owned by real estate investors, while Marriott will manage the hotels and provide marketing support. Big hotel operators such as Marriott have been developing niche brands to complement their traditional offerings and appeal to style-conscious travellers.
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