What is the market telling you about the growth outside of CBD locations which is seeing Marriott look more closely at these suburban areas?
Growing urban communities means growing demand for visitor accommodation. Health, education, and localised commercial activity all contribute meaningfully to a need for new hotels, along of course with the visiting family and friends market.
Was Courtyard by Marriott always intended to be a brand that works in both city and suburban areas or has it been modified recently to make it a better fit?
Courtyard by Marriott is Marriott International’s largest global brand and it is recognised as the pioneer of regional and metropolitan accommodation in the United States. Since the brand’s beginnings as a Motor Inn product, Courtyard by Marriott has evolved to also now be a leader in CBD and even resort locations, because of the profile of the name and its strong global following.
What is it about the Courtyard and Four Points brands that have made them appeal to outer-city developments?
Courtyard by Marriott and Four Points by Sheraton are ideal brands for metropolitan locations, plus tier two and tertiary cities. These brands can be all things to all people and be the most aspirational hotels in market, whilst remaining affordable.
Were any changes made to make the Four Points brand a better suburban fit in line with its upcoming debut in Blacktown?
Four Points by Sheraton Blacktown will be an exemplar hotel for the brand. As a full service hotel, the property will be positioned as the leading hotel in Blacktown.
Now that Courtyard by Marriott has outer-city locations in both its Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane pipelines, are the growing outer suburbs of any other cities being earmarked for the brand’s next moves?
When it comes to the expansion of hotel brands, success breeds success. With each signing of a new Courtyard by Marriott hotel, more interest flows not only from our customer bases, but also from the hotel investment community – who see merit in being associated with a fast growing international portfolio of hotels.
Could we see Marriott’s more premium or even luxury brands arrive in outer-city locations next? Is the market calling for that?
We are fielding many enquiries from developers eager to introduce our core upper-upscale brands, such as Sheraton and Marriott, into outer CBD locations.
In most cases, the developers have strong associations with their local communities and identify that their mixed-use developments would benefit from having a first class hotel as the centrepiece to their projects. We see merit in this concept for many projects, however we do not anticipate that our luxury brands will feature in the same way in the near term.