Andrea Zelinski
Imagine it's 2028. You're lounging on the beach on the Riviera Maya in Mexico at an all-inclusive resort. Surprise! It's a Ritz-Carlton and one of the brand's first all-inclusives.
Or perhaps you're on the opposite end of the country, taking in the neon sunset from the Baja peninsula at the St. Regis Los Cabos.
These upcoming properties are the tip of the sand dune of what Marriott International has planned in Mexico. The company has 60 new properties in store by the end of this decade, with more in the pipeline.
Our massive southern neighbor, with its long coastlines and cities rich in food and culture, accounts for a significant share of Marriott's portfolio in the Caribbean and Latin America (CALA). Of the hotel giant's 560 properties in CALA, more than 300 are in Mexico.
"Really, Mexico is strategically important for us," Martin Castano, Marriott International's vice president of sales and distribution for the region, said in an interview during the Discover CALA Travel Summit in late May, pointing to the number of Marriott properties in the country and the opportunities to provide all-inclusive products there.
Although the country felt a slump following a spate of cartel vandalism in February, sellers and operators say demand is on the mend. And Marriott has confidence in the destination long-term, pointing to both inbound tourism from places like the U.S. and Canada and domestic travelers.
Marriott projects in the pipeline
Marriott expects to open more than 10 properties in Mexico this year alone, including the St. Regis Costa Mujeres Resort, Cancun; the Autograph Collection's Boca Alameda Mexico City; Casa Nizuc, a Tribute Portfolio Resort in Cancun; and Saltillo, Autograph Collection in Coahuila.
In the years to come, expect the St. Regis Los Cabos (2028), Ritz-Carlton, Riviera Maya (2028) and Ritz-Carlton, Cancun, Punta Nizuc (2029).
These are in addition to the recently opened Siari, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the Riviera Nayarit region and Zadun Los Cabos, another reserve property, in San Jose del Cabo, which were all the rage anytime I spoke to a travel advisor about them at the CALA summit.
With 74 new Mexico properties currently in the pipeline, the company plans to add 11,000 hotel rooms. This growth would expand the company's footprint in Mexico by 20%.
In addition to opening more beach locations, the company plans to convert two of its existing properties in Mexico to all-inclusive operations, including the Marriott Puerto Vallarta in 2027 and the W Costa Mujeres in 2029.
This is all part of Marriott's strategic plan to grow to 1,000 properties in the Caribbean and Latin America by 2030. The company now owns about 560 in the region.
Marriott is also seeing opportunities in second- and tertiary-tier cities with its City Express brand and select-service hotels, Castano said.
"At the end of the day, what you want as a customer is the feeling of the destination that makes them come again and again or recommend it to other friends and family to go and visit," he said.