Dive Brief:
- Marriott International opened the first U.S. hotel under its midscale City Express brand in Duluth, Georgia, the hotel company announced Tuesday.
- The opening comes several months after Marriott announced it would expand the City Express brand to the U.S. and Canada. The hotel company entered the midscale segment when it acquired the City Express brand portfolio — then solely in the Caribbean and Latin America region — from Hoteles City Express in 2023.
- Marriott is set to accelerate the expansion of City Express across the U.S. and Canada throughout 2025, with openings slated for “the most sought-after destinations across the region” catering to both business and leisure travelers, according to the company.
Dive Insight:
City Express by Marriott Duluth is the first of more than a dozen brand hotels slated to open this year in top destinations across the U.S. and Canada, according to Marriott. There are currently more than 45 signed agreements in place, the hotel company shared Tuesday.
In the second quarter of this year, City Express hotels are set to open in New Orleans and Chicago. Brand properties are also scheduled to open in Orlando, Florida, and Ontario, Canada, in 2025.
The openings aim to meet the diverse needs of both business and leisure travelers, according to Diana Plazas-Trowbridge, Marriott’s chief lodging products officer for the U.S. and Canada. Prior to Marriott’s organizational restructuring, which took effect in January, Plazas-Trowbridge was global leader of select brands at Marriott.
“Whether for business or leisure, guests at City Express by Marriott in the U.S. and Canada will now experience the same seamless, efficient stay that has made the brand a success in the CALA region,” Plazas-Trowbridge said in a statement.
City Express hotels are designed to “combine style and hassle-free comfort,” according to Marriott. The pet-friendly properties offer complimentary breakfast, a 24-hour market and on-site fitness facilities. For owners, the hotel offers a conversion-friendly model.
“The value proposition that this conversion-friendly, transient midscale brand brings both to owners and guests has turned City Express by Marriott into a powerhouse in the Caribbean and Latin America (CALA) region, and we are thrilled to deliver this same combination of value to the U.S. and Canada,” Noah Silverman, Marriott’s global development officer for the U.S. and Canada, said in a statement.
Marriott is also currently expanding its midscale extended stay brand StudioRes in the U.S. and Canada, with the first opening expected later this year, the hotel company shared in the release.
