Marriott to Add 19 All-Inclusive Resorts through Sunwing Deal
by Daniel McCarthy
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Marriott International will double its all-inclusive portfolio through an agreement with Blue Diamond Resorts, Sunwing Travel Group’s hotel division.
With the deal, Marriott will be one of the top global all-inclusive players with an addition 19 resorts and 7,000 rooms, bringing its total all-inclusive portfolio to 33 properties by 2025, with the majority joining Marriott’s Autograph Collection sometime this year.
The 19 hotels include five properties in Mexico (including two Cancun Planet Hollywood resorts and two Royalton properties); five in the Dominican Republic (all five are Royalton properties); four in Jamaica (all Royalton); two in St. Lucia; one in Antigua; and one in Costa Rica.
The deal continues Marriott’s growth into the all-inclusive space, a move it started in August 2019, with nine hotels already opened in Costa Rica, Barbados, and Mexico and another five in Mexico, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Brazil ready to come online prior to the Sunwing deal.
“We are thrilled to work with Sunwing Travel Group and expand into two new leisure destinations – St. Lucia and Antigua,” said Tony Capuano, Group President, Global Development, Design and Operations Services, Marriott International.
“Blue Diamond’s expertise in the all-inclusive segment and high-quality resorts will help ensure that these properties serve as excellent additions to the Marriott portfolio. Today’s signing is a testament to Marriott International’s scale and loyalty platform, and we look forward to providing travelers seeking an all-inclusive experience with more choices in the Caribbean and Latin America.”
Marriott has been pushing farther and farther into the all-inclusive space since August 2019, including signing contracts for seven all-inclusive resorts representing nearly 3,200 rooms across four countries that summer. Other all-inclusive projects include four newly build all-inclusive resorts in Mexico comprised of about 2,000 rooms under four brands, planned for Riviera Nayarit near Cancun. The resorts, expected to open between 2022 and 2025, are poised to fly The Ritz-Carlton, Autograph Collection, Westin Hotels and Marriott Hotels brands; and a 650-room Autograph Collection in the Dominican Republic scheduled to open in 2022.
Marriott had also previously purchased Elegant Hotels, which owns and operates seven hotels in Barbados with 588 rooms and a beachfront restaurant; the majority of the properties are operated as all-inclusive resorts.
