Dive Brief:
- Design Hotels, a portfolio of nearly 300 independent hotels under parent company Marriott International, has signed 29 hotel agreements over the last 12 months, expanding globally, Marriott announced Tuesday.
- The agreements include 10 hotels in the U.S., such as The Warren Street Hotel in New York City and Drift Nashville in Tennessee’s capital city.
- With the expansion, Design Hotels strengthens its U.S. foothold and builds on its long-term strategy to grow in the Americas region, to both “tried-and-true” and new destinations, Ceara Sadler, senior director of brand and commercial operations for the Americas at Design Hotels, told Hotel Dive.
Dive Insight:
Over the last year, Design Hotels grew its global portfolio by 10%, gaining momentum in the U.S. and Mexico, specifically, where it added seven new destinations across the two countries, Marriott detailed in the Tuesday release.
In the U.S., Design Hotels opened The Warren Street Hotel, a 69-key property in New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood. It also expanded its relationship with independent hotels group Drift Hotels, opening Drift Nashville in July. The Drift property includes 104 minimalist rooms and suites as well as three locally led food and beverage concepts.
The signings also included multiple hotels in California, such as Hotel 850 SVB in West Hollywood and Granger Hotel Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego, anticipated to open later this year. Design Hotels’ portfolio encompasses 14 California hotels, including Drift properties in Santa Barbara and Palm Springs.
In terms of future U.S. expansion, Design Hotels looks at “how and where travelers are engaging with culture and design, versus needing to grow in specific destinations,” Sadler said.
“We have seen momentum, growing in both tried-and-true destinations, like Los Angeles and New York, as well as inspiring new destinations that catch the attention of artists and architects, designers and developers, such as La Punta Zicatela in Mexico,” Sadler added. “Our recent community survey saw 84% of people believe hotels have the potential to provide a sense of community, yet only 24% feel like they belong to one — that is a huge opportunity for us to meet our global travelers where they are.”
Design Hotels now has more than two dozen properties across the U.S. This year’s portfolio growth comes on the heels of Stijn Oyen being named managing director at Design Hotels.
