Marriott’s Autograph Collection will take control of its 50th property within the next two months.
The group of independently-owned hotels currently has 44 properties on its books, with another six due to join within “six to eight weeks”.
Tina Edmundson, Marriott International’s senior vice president of lifestyle brands, said: “It is a collection rather than a brand, as we have properties with their own personality which are independently owned and are unique hotels.
“We launched Autograph Collection in 2010 as Marriott International wanted to find a new customer base, where the guests are looking to stay in an independent hotel offering unique experiences.”
Edmundson said that hotel owners benefitted from being sold through Marriott’s platforms including its website and GDSs, while guests earn points through Marriott Rewards.
The news emerged as part of Marriott’s UK launch event for the Autograph Collection on Tuesday at St Ermin’s Hotel in central London – one of three British properties, alongside Threadneedles in the City of London, and The Glasshouse in Edinburgh.
St Ermin’s switched to Autograph Collection in May, having previously been part of Accor’s M Gallery portfolio (see online news, May 1).
Marriott is expecting to add further hotels in Berlin, New York, California, North Carolina, New Brunswick in Canada and Costa Rica over the next few weeks to the Autograph Collection.
Graham Smith and Rob Gill
