Marriott International is known for being a dominant player in the hospitality industry, with its presence in almost every corner of the world. The international hospitality brand is now expanding its portfolio with the launch of Series by Marriott. This brand will be aimed at midscale and upscale hotel segments and we’ll reveal all the details below about the same.
However, what’s interesting is that Marriott International has chosen India as the starting point of this ambitious project. It is not often that India serves as the pilot market for a world-class project like this, so Marriott International’s decision to launch its brand in India first is definitely a milestone in the Indian hospitality industry.
Series By Marriott: All That You Need To Know
Why Series By Marriott Is First Launching In India
Marriott’s global leadership has been vocal about expanding their footing in India as it eyes to make the country its third-largest market. The latest move to first launch a new brand directly in India is a step towards reinforcing its position in the Indian luxury hospitality space.
This also signifies that India is no more just a market where tried-and-tested products land up for sure shot success. Today, it is also the launchpad to experiment, collaborate, and innovate newer ideas.
In India, Marriott operates over 30,000 rooms. Now, the brand is eyeing to reach a target of 50,000 in the next five years as it taps into the midscale segment too.
Marriott’s move to launch Series by Marriott in India is also a strategic move aligning with the growth of the Indian hospitality industry. The market is gaining momentum with projections expected to surpass INR 1 trillion in 2025 and grow to INR 1.1 trillion by 2026-27. This data is blacked by Rubix Data Sciences, a risk management and monitoring firm.
Series By Marriott: A Local Yet Global Approach
At a time when brands are doing everything in their power to go global, Series by Marriott is taking a different turn: it’s all about going local with a global approach. The new brand will bring local, reputed hotel brands under the Marriott umbrella. This is to reach a larger and more diverse audience and tap into the lesser-explored midscale segment. By integrating local hotel brands with the global standards of the Marriott, Series by Marriott will take a local-to-global approach.
The launch of Series by Marriott comes with a foundational agreement and an undisclosed equity investment in hotel management firm, Concept Hospitality. This is the firm that’s best known for its Fern Hotels & Resorts. In India, at the time of its launch, Concept Hospitality’s core brands – The Fern, The Fern Habitat, and The Fern Residency will join Marriott’s network. Concept Hospitality already has a robust distribution network and operates over 100 hotels across 90 Indian cities.
Not just that, it also runs 17 hotels in partnership with the Indian Hotels Company Limited. This is also the parent company of the iconic Taj Hotels. Following agreements with third-party owners, the hotels operated by the Fern portfolio will gradually affiliate with Series by Marriott. However, the Fern portfolio will remain operational under Concept Hospitality as mentioned by Rajeev Menon, President, Asia Pacific excluding China, Marriott International.
In exchange, Marriott will offer these properties its exclusive Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program as well as access to its systems and standards. Marriott’s loyalty program has been a key driver in its repeat business and today there are over 237 million Marriott Bonvoy members!
Series By Marriott’s International Expansion Plans
While the pilot test will be conducted in India, Marriott International definitely has plans to gradually roll out their new brand in other key markets around the world. These include Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the United States, and the Caribbean and Latin America.
The success of Series by Marriott in India will only attest to the rise of the new hospitality trend: major international hotel chains going ‘local’ to adapt to regional needs and consumer preferences. Series by Marriott will be all about reaching value-conscious travelers and introducing them to the Marriott ecosystem.
Summing Up
With a new brand under its belt and an ambitious India-first launch, it seems that Marriott International is rightly implementing its strategy to go global by first adapting to the ‘local’. Series by Marriott is about to mark the beginning of a new chapter in the Indian hospitality space. One where value-conscious travelers get to experience luxurious hospitality standards at reasonable price points. Whether the brand picks up in India or not is something that only time will tell, but worry not, we’ll keep you updated!
