Marriott Dedicates Charlotte Hotel To Serve As ‘Innovation Lab’

Greatroom at Charlotte Marriott City Center

Marriott International has its eye on the future with the world’s first hotel in “live beta.”

The company’s new M Beta at Charlotte Marriott City Center will serve as a forward-looking testing ground for innovative hotel experiences. Guests can test and give feedback with “Beta Buttons,” located throughout the hotel. That data is then aggregated and published in real time on digital screens, or “Beta Boards,” allowing Marriott to gauge consumer feedback.

The M Beta is currently testing several concepts, which Marriott says will rotate regularly. When guests first enter the hotel, they’ll notice there’s no traditional front desk to check in. Instead, the Charlotte hotel has staff at multiple desks to personally greet guests, whether they’re at the curb, in the lobby or elsewhere. With FLEX Fitness, guests can work with hundreds of virtual classes available on-demand in-room or in the fitness center. The Immersive Kitchen at Stoke Restaurant removes the walls between the diners and the chefs to create a more interactive experience, where local chef Chris Coleman will serve farm-to-table Southern-style food. It will also offer local artisan tastings and cooking classes.

While the Charlotte Marriott City Center opened in 1984, Marriott acquired the property in 2013.

The launch of the M Beta hotel is a step in Marriott’s push to evolve the hotel experience. It recently announced its partnership with TED, to bring TED Talks  to guests worldwide. The Marriott Hotel brand also will be rolling out re-designed guest rooms.