Marriott International chairman Bill Marriott plans to boost the hotel chain’s presence outside the US by 10% in the next five years.
The Washington-based company, founded by Marriott’s father 72 years ago, currently has 80% of its portfolio in the US with the remaining 20% scattered around the globe.
The company has been on an aggressive acquisition trail in the last few years – in the past 12 months it has added 176 hotels around the world to its portfolio.
It now boasts its 11 brand names will appear on 2,000 hotels by the end of the year 2000. The group operates mostly management contracts and franchise properties.
Marriott said:”We are always on the lookout for something that suits our portfolio. We are expanding at the rate of 200 hotels a year but we really want to see more of our properties being created outside the US.
“Our Courtyard by Marriott brand and Residence Inn by Marriott brand have less representation globally than we would like and we intend to change that. We need a Residence Inn in London and Courtyards in England, Germany and France.”
Courtyard by Marriott is the group’s moderately priced chain aimed at business travellers and Residence Inn is the company’s luxury extended-stay brand.
Marriott said he also planned to bring the Ramada International chain to the UK and was currently looking at opportunities in Great Britain for Marriott’s timeshare brand Marriott Vacation Club International. Ramada International was bought in a deal along with Renaissance Hotels in February 1997.
Marriott added: “We have 7% market share in the USbut only 1% outside. Clearly there’s room for growth.
n Marriott Hotels, Resorts and Suites.
n Renaissance Hotels and Resorts.
n Marriott Vacation Club International.
n Marriott Conference Centres
n Courtyard by Marriott.
n Fairfield Inn.
n Springhill Suites
n Residence Inn by Marriott.
n TownePlace Suites.
n Marriott Executive Apartments
n Ritz Carlton