Marriott International launches global midscale brand in India, adds 115 properties to existing portfolio
As part of a founding deal struck with Concept Hospitality Private Limited, its flagship brands—The Fern, The Fern Residency, and The Fern Habitat—will now become a part of the new brand, Series by Marriott
Rajeev Menon, President – Asia Pacific (Excluding Greater China), Marriott International
Image: Mexy Xavier
Marriott International announced the launch of a new global collection brand, especially for midscale and upscale hotel segments, called Series by Marriott, on Thursday.
As part of a founding deal struck with Concept Hospitality Private Limited (CHPL), its flagship brands—The Fern, The Fern Residency, and The Fern Habitat—will now become a part of Series by Marriott, marking India as the first market for the launch of its new brand. This would allow the hospitality brand to bring regionally popular hotel brands under its umbrella while letting them retain their original identity, said Rajeev Menon, president – Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China), Marriott International.
He also disclosed that the company is making a small equity investment of an undisclosed amount in CHPL.
The hospitality chain headquartered in the US runs hotels like JW Marriott, Westin, W, and other brands. Globally, it has approximately 9,500 properties under 30 brands spanning 144 countries and territories. In South Asia, comprising India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, it has over 171 properties across 17 brands.
CHPL brings 115 properties and 8,000 rooms to the table, adding a huge portfolio to Marriott's existing brands that will gradually be converted into long-term franchise agreements with the hotel chain.
In addition to its founding deal with CHPL, Marriott is also in active discussions about launching the latest brand with hotel owners in the US, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
In a brief discussion with Forbes India, Menon said the move would enable the group to address the gap in the mid-scale space, "…as Marriott has not been in this segment".
He added, "We were looking at our internal data to assess the growth opportunity beyond our current portfolio and it was clear that the mid-scale segment, particularly in emerging markets, with India being at the forefront, is growing exponentially right now."
Calling this a landmark move, he also mentioned that "…very rarely would you see Marriott invest. Therefore, this is truly a strategic investment, although a small one."
On how soon the hotels can be transitioned, he said that they are working on the specifics as they would have to work with individual owners to get them into the system. "I expect that we should be ready by the end of this year to early next year," he said.
Speaking of the Asia Pacific region at large, it remains an area of incredible growth opportunities, especially intra-regional travel, Menon reckons. He highlights that until pre-Covid-19, only 38 percent of the business came from within the regional country. Today, it has increased to 60 percent.
"To me, the real opportunity is in this part of the world. I see this as a decade-long growth story," he says.
With an increasing interest in experiential travel, he also sees an opportunity in the luxury space. In 2024, 75 percent of the rooms signed in South Asia were in the luxury and upper upscale segments, according to reports.
"Therefore, while mid-scale is going to be a focus area, luxury is going to continue to play a critical role in our global success," he says. "Through this strategic partnership, we now have created a platform that, hopefully, once we get it right, will grow at an exponential pace in its own way to fill the white space for the hotel chain."