Marriott International today detailed plans for its new boutique hotel brand, a collaboration with boutique hotelier and Studio 54 co-creator Ian Schrager, along with specifics of the brand's first nine development deals.
The new brand, dubbed Edition, will begin to open in 2010. So far, Marriott and Schrager have signed deals for two Edition properties in Los Angeles along with hotels in Washington, D.C.; Miami; Chicago; Scottsdale, Ariz.; Paris; Madrid; and Costa Rica. In addition, Schrager and Marriott said they are in advanced discussions for 20 more hotels and expect to have as many as 30 agreements in place by the end of this year.
Initial plans for the brand, announced last summer
(BTNonline, June 14, 2007), expected only five hotels to be announced by this point. "The reaction among the development community underscores the strength of the concept, reflects the breadth and diversity we anticipated and demonstrates the industry's understanding of the untapped market we will reach," Schrager said in a statement.
Edition hotels will consist of about 150 to 200 rooms on average and will each be uniquely designed to fit into their locations, according to Marriott. Schrager is in charge of the aesthetics and marketing of the hotels, while Marriott will handle development and operations. "These hotels will be an exceptional complement to our brand portfolio and will allow us to use our global platform and operational expertise to crate the first truly global branded boutique lifestyle hotel on a large scale," Marriott CEO J.W. Marriott Jr. said in a statement.
Eventually, Marriott and Schrager hope to have about 100 Edition properties worldwide.