Series By Marriott: New Regional Budget(ish) Hotel Brand Concept

As we know, Marriott wants to grow at any cost, and often that strategy involves launching new hotel brands. Along those lines, Marriott has just announced the details of its 37th hotel brand.

Basics of the new Series by Marriott hotel brand

Series by Marriott is the name of Marriott’s newest hotel brand, which is a collection brand in the midscale and upscale lodging segments.

The goal with Series by Marriott is to expand Marriott’s global presence by bringing well-established regionally created brands and hotels that “champion consistent quality and service” into the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio (I put part of that in quotes, since it’s not like Marriott can even “champion” consistency with any of its existing brands).

So Series by Marriott will offer regional hotel owners access to the benefits of Marriott’s platforms, including the Marriott Bonvoy program, all while maintaining their portfolio’s independent identity.

With hotels maintaining their individual branding, think of this as almost being along the lines of Autograph Collection, Luxury Collection, or Tribute Portfolio. However, Series by Marriott will likely consist of less luxurious properties than that, and there will also be more consistency between the regional properties that are part of the collection.

As it’s described, Series by Marriott properties will “deliver a simple and approachable experience for travelers with a focus on fundamentals and well-executed basics.” Hotels in the portfolio will offer quality and value, with clean and comfortable rooms, free Wi-Fi, and daily coffee or tea. Breakfast, fitness centers, and meetings and event spaces, will be available at certain properties.

Here’s how Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano describes this development:

“Series by Marriott furthers Marriott’s commitment to delivering lodging offerings in the right place at the right price with basics done well. Creating a new, regional collection brand will further Marriott’s reach among value-conscious travelers, provide additional choice for our existing Marriott Bonvoy members and guests, and offer more affiliation opportunities for local owners.”

Series by Marriott will launch in India with The Fern

The Series by Marriott brand is initially launching in partnership with Concept Hospitality Private Limited (CHPL) in India. The hotel group was founded in 1996, and has a portfolio of six brands and over 100 hotels, operating in 90 locations.

Under this strategic agreement between CHPL and Marriott, CHPL’s flagship brands — The Fern, The Fern Residency, and The Fern Habitat — will be affiliated with Series by Marriott on an exclusive basis. Furthermore, Marriott will make a small equity investment in CHPL.

The Fern Portfolio is currently comprised of 84 open properties, with 31 more hotels in the pipeline. That means the total agreement will be for roughly 115 properties and 8,000 rooms. Fern properties are expected to join Marriott’s portfolio over time, following discussions with third-party hotel owners, and execution of long term franchise agreements with owners.

Bottom line

Series by Marriott is the hotel giant’s newest hotel brand. The idea is that this will consist of a regional collection of hotels in the midscale and upscale lodging segments. This means that Marriott will be targeting regional hotel groups with dozens of hotels, in hopes of integrating them into Marriott’s booking channels, and giving them access to the Marriott Bonvoy program.

I suppose in the scheme of Marriott’s never-ending quest for expansion, this development makes sense. You’d think that Marriott’s City Express brand in Latin America would be added to this collection, since it seems to follow the same concept.

What do you make of Series by Marriott?