Wyndham And Marriott Look To Collection Brands

On the heels of Wyndham Hotel Group’s announcement Monday it will launch a new soft brand, Trademark Hotel Collection, Marriott said it plans to increase The Luxury Collection, Autograph Collection Hotels and Tribute Portfolio.  

At the NYU International Hospitality Conference, Marriott International CEO Arne Sorenson said by 2019 the company will expand its three collection brands of more than 240 hotels by nearly 50%. By the end of this year, Marriott expects the three brands to grow by 20% with 40 new collection properties opening across the globe.  

Wyndham Hotel Group, meanwhile, will enter the market with Trademark Hotel Collection, a soft brand of upper-midscale independent hotels.  

Trademark, Wyndham’s 19th brand, is slated to include more than 50 independent hotels in the three- to four-star range. While there are currently no details on which hotels will join, it will include both existing and new-build properties in urban markets.  

Marriott, meanwhile, is now able to offer more choices than ever, especially for owners and guests who prefer an independent hotel experience,” said Sorenson. “We doubled our portfolio of independent hotels with the acquisition of Starwood and significantly increased our global footprint. The growth projected for the next few years underscores the demand Marriott is seeing for more customized, local experiences.”  

Through the expansion, Marriott will further differentiate each brand’s distinct personality.  

The Luxury Collection includes hotels that define the destination coupled with impeccable service. With more than 100 properties in its portfolio, the luxury brand includes iconic hotels such as The Gritti Palace in Venice to Santa Marina, a Luxury Collection Resort in Mykonos.  

The Autograph Collection is upper-upscale, full-service lifestyle hotels with nearly 120 properties in its portfolio and another 47 signed hotels in the pipeline. The collection ranges from the 3,000-room Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas to Boscolo Prague, a 19th-century neoclassical palace. The Autograph Collection will debut in China and Malaysia this year and South Korea in 2018. 

Tribute Portfolio, launched in 2015, is defined by distinctive design and social spaces. It currently includes 20 hotels, with another 14 in the pipeline. It recently added The Wick, a hotel opening this fall in Hudson, New York, which was originally built in the 1860’s. 

Wyndham Hotel Group will enter the market with Trademark Hotel Collection, a soft brand of upper-midscale independent hotels.  

Trademark, Wyndham’s 19th brand, is slated to include more than 50 independent hotels in the three- to four-star range. While there are currently no details on which hotels will join, it will include both existing and new-build properties in urban markets.  

Large hotel chains are finding the appeal of soft brands, allowing them to offer a “boutique” hotel experience, rather than a cookie-cutter option traveler are moving away from. In turn, independent hoteliers can maintain their individual identity while benefiting from a global distribution network and access to loyalty members. Between Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest program, Marriott has more than 85 million members, while there are more than 50 million Wyndham Rewards loyalty program members. 

Nearly every major hotel company has a soft brand, including the Ascend Hotel Collection by Choice Hotels, Unbound by Hyatt, Hilton’s introduction of the Curio Collection and the Tapestry Collection.