Marriott International Doubling European Presence

By Keith Loria, Contributing Editor

Marriott International, Europe is set to acquire Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., doubling its size in Europe to more than 123,000 rooms.

AC Hotel Bourbon in New Orleans, Marriott’s first in the U.S. under this brand

“It’s been an extraordinary time for Marriott. We signed over 10,000 new rooms in 2015 for the first time in our history, doubling in size since 2010,”Amy McPherson, Marriott International, Europe’s president and managing director, said in a statement. “Added to this unprecedented growth was the announcement of our Starwood acquisition, which is expected to close in mid-2016. Our momentum is incredible.”

The newly acquired luxury brands will complement Marriott’s existing offering in the economy and mid-tier sector, including Moxy Hotels, AC Hotels and Courtyard Hotels, yielding 22 lodging brands across Europe from economy to luxury. Starwood’s luxury brands, including St. Regis, Luxury Collection and W Hotels, will complement Marriott’s luxury brands, including The Ritz-Carlton, EDITION and JW Marriott.

Overall, five new Marriott Hotels are expected to open in Germany, Belarus, Macedonia and Russia, and three new Moxy hotels should open in Germany, along with an AC Hotel in Mainz, Germany. Additionally, Marriott’s Autograph Collection is scheduled to open four hotels in 2016, including two Roomers hotels in Germany.

In May, AC Hotels, the urban European design hotel brand, which has recently been introduced to the U.S. with great success, is expected to open 22 hotels globally and will launch in the U.K. for the first time in Manchester and Birmingham. Meanwhile, Moxy Hotels is planning its biggest growth in 2016 with five new hotels expected to open by the end of 2016 and at least nine new hotels open by end 2017.