Marriott International is reporting robust pipeline growth across its soft brands, with the company's Autograph Collection, Luxury Collection and Tribute Portfolio on track to add nearly 70 independent hotels to their networks this year alone.
According to Jennifer Connell, Marriott International's vice president and global brand leader for Autograph Collection and Tribute Portfolio, some of this pandemic-era expansion is being driven by soon-to-open properties that have decided to make their debut with the backing of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty platform and other brand-related benefits.
Jennifer Connell
"We are seeing hotels coming online that are opening and saying, 'I was previously contemplating doing this on my own, but now we're contemplating [joining a Marriott collection],'" said Connell. "We're still seeing a significant number of newbuild opportunities that will be opening this year and 2022 that were already in the pipeline. They might be delayed, but they are opening, which is encouraging."
Of course, conversions are still an important part of the mix. In February, for example, Marriott International unveiled a long-term partnership with Sunwing Travel Group's Blue Diamond Resorts arm, under which Marriott said it would be reflagging 19 all-inclusive properties under its Autograph Collection portfolio by mid-2021.
According to Connell, those Blue Diamond conversions will account for about a third of Autograph Collection's additions for the year.
Launched in 2010, the Autograph Collection is Marriott's largest soft brand, with a total of 200 properties globally.
The Luxury Collection is the company's next-largest, set to reach 120 hotels globally by this spring, while the Tribute Portfolio comprises about 50 hotels worldwide.
All three soft brands, said Connell, have played a strong role in diversifying Marriott's footprint, particularly in smaller regional markets.
"These brands have allowed us to open up independent experiences in more secondary and tertiary markets," she said. "We can create an experience that is authentic to a smaller drive-to market, where it might not have made sense for a global brand like Marriott or Ritz-Carlton. And this has really helped us perform well against competitors."
That drive-to presence has become particularly vital over the past year, as travelers have sought closer-to-home leisure destinations throughout the Covid-19 crisis.
Connell predicts that the drive-to vacation trend will likely continue through 2021 and beyond.
"People are seeking out smaller markets and looking for experiences that are less touristy in nature and more authentic," said Connell. "I think for especially for long weekend trips, you're going to see that strong demand for your drive-to destinations, and part of that is because people now feel like they can work from anywhere."