BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Marriott
International (NASDAQ: MAR) today will launch its first pop-up
hotel innovation lab, creating an interactive model hotel
experience in downtown Los Angeles
to crowdsource real-time feedback from the public, furthering the
company's futuristic vision.
Underscoring Marriott's goal of continuously innovating the
guest experience with an eye on design and technology, the lab will
let industry professionals, hotel guests, associates and the
general public see, touch, taste and hear some of the exciting
enhancements being considered for the future of the company's
innovation incubator brand Aloft, and eco-conscious, extended-stay
brand Element. Among them:
- With business and leisure travelers looking for more unique
spaces, Element is piloting a bold new guest room design that will
feature a communal room in the center of four guest rooms, allowing
travelers to share a kitchen, dining room and lounge area. This
will provide more collaborative space for groups who would like to
spend time together in a more private setting.
- Aloft will be revitalizing its food and beverage program with
an emphasis on fresh, healthy ingredients such as spinach, quinoa
and avocado. Travelers will be able to order customized "pots," a
healthy meal in a colorful to-go container with food that reflects
regional tastes. A personalized pot can be ordered and paid for at
a digital kiosk; guests will receive their pot with a time-stamped,
label featuring their chef's emoji.
- Tech-centric beverage concepts, such as a portable wine cart
for Element that automatically pours wine when activated by a
guest's hotel room key card.
"We're excited to unveil Marriott's first-ever, pop-up
innovation lab for Aloft and Element – two phenomenal brands that
are always evolving as guests, lifestyles and technology change,"
said Eric Jacobs, Chief Development
Officer - North America, Marriott
Select Brands, Marriott International. "We're also eager to collect
and utilize feedback from the ownership community, which has
expressed tremendous enthusiasm for both brands."
At year-end 2016, there were 116 Aloft and 23 Element hotels
open around the world, with 150 Aloft and 73 Element hotels in the
pipeline globally. In 2016, new signings of Elements were
more than double 2015 signings, whereas Aloft experienced a 37
percent uptick in signed deals year over year. In 2017, Marriott
expects to open 33 Aloft properties and 14 Element properties
across the globe in a diverse array of cities such as Seoul, South Korea, Seattle, Washington, and South Bend, Indiana.
Given the importance that Marriott places on incorporating
feedback from its hotel owners, franchisees, and loyalty members,
every person who passes through the lab will have the opportunity
to offer their feedback in real-time through Swurveys, a swipe-able
survey. The feedback will be reflected in the Aloft and Element
brands as they rollout this intuitive guest experience beginning in
the fall of 2017. "Innovation is embedded in Marriott's values,"
said Toni Stoeckl, Global Brand
Leader and Vice President, Distinctive Select Brands. "We're
driven by creating solutions that elevate, innovate and evolve the
guest experience, fueling guest loyalty and maximizing the value of
our owners' investments. It's how we stay relevant to guests
today and tomorrow, while providing a meaningful competitive
advantage to our partners."
The pop-up innovation lab event comes four months after Marriott
acquired Starwood Hotels & Resorts, which conceived of the two
brands and witnessed an uptick in signings in the months leading up
to the merger.
This isn't the first time that Marriott invited the public to
help transform the traditional hotel experience. In October, the
company unveiled its first M Beta hotel for its flagship Marriott
Hotels brand at Charlotte Marriott City Center, a functioning hotel
that doubles as the world's first hotel in "live beta." From
keyless entry upon arrival to digital experiences in the fitness
studio, every corner of the hotel allows for rapid prototyping,
inviting guests to test and give feedback in real-time, ultimately
shaping their future hotel experience.
Marriott is an innovation leader, ranked 19th on
FORTUNE's list of Most Innovative Companies, and the powerhouse in
hospitality innovation.
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is the world's
largest hotel company based in Bethesda,
Maryland, USA, with more than 6,000 properties in more than
120 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises
hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts. The company's 30
leading brands include: Bulgari®, The Ritz-Carlton® and The
Ritz-Carlton Reserve®, St. Regis®, W®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, The
Luxury Collection®, Marriott Hotels®, Westin®, Le Méridien®,
Renaissance® Hotels, Sheraton®, Delta Hotels by
MarriottSM, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott
Vacation Club®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Tribute Portfolio™,
Design Hotels™, Gaylord Hotels®, Courtyard®, Four Points® by
Sheraton, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®,
Residence Inn®, TownePlace Suites®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Aloft®,
Element®, Moxy® Hotels, and Protea Hotels by Marriott®. The
company also operates award-winning loyalty programs: Marriott
Rewards®, which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards®, and Starwood
Preferred Guest®. For more information, please visit our
website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit
www.marriottnewscenter.com and @MarriottIntl.
About Aloft Hotels
With more than 100 hotels now open in 19 countries around the
world, the Aloft brand delivers a fresh approach to the traditional
staid hotel landscape. For the 'always on' next generation of
traveler, the Aloft brand offers a tech-forward, vibrant experience
and a modern style that is different by design. Aloft is proud to
participate in the industry's award-winning loyalty program,
Starwood Preferred Guest®. Members can now link accounts with
Marriott Rewards®, which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® at
members.marriott.com for instant elite status matching and
unlimited points transfer. For more information, please
visit www.alofthotels.com and follow along on Facebook,
Twitter, and Instagram.
About Element Hotels
Element® Hotels is made to order
for guests in the know and on the go. Its bright design defies
convention, bathing guest rooms and public spaces in natural
light. Stylish and sustainable throughout, Element offers
extended stay comfort with a conscience and lots of signature
amenities from its healthy RISE breakfast and RELAX evening
reception to saline swimming pools, spacious fitness centers, bikes
to borrow and electric vehicle charging stations. Element made
history in 2008 as the only major hotel brand to pursue LEED
certification for high-performance buildings brand-wide.
Element is proud to participate in the industry's
award-winning loyalty program, Starwood Preferred Guest®. Members
can now link accounts with Marriott Rewards®, which includes The
Ritz-Carlton Rewards® at members.marriott.com for instant elite
status matching and unlimited points transfer.
Visit www.ElementHotels.com or connect on Facebook and
Instagram.
Note on Forward-Looking Statements: The numbers of Aloft
and Element properties that Marriott expects to open in 2017 are
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of U.S. federal
securities laws, not historical facts, and are subject to a number
of risks and uncertainties, including supply and demand changes for
hotel rooms; competitive conditions in the lodging industry;
relationships with clients and property owners; the availability of
capital to finance hotel growth; and other risk factors that
Marriott International, Inc. identifies in the most recent
quarterly report on Form 10-Q that it filed with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission; any of which could cause actual
results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by
those statements. We make those statements as of the date of this
press release, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or
revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.
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SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.