BERLIN, Germany ? 5 March, 2013 ? At the Berlin International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF), Marriott International (NYSE: MAR) will debut MOXY HOTELS (www.moxyhotels.com), its first entry into the economy tier, three-star hospitality segment in Europe. Designed to capture the rapidly emerging millennial traveler, the new brand combines contemporary stylish design, approachable service and, most importantly, an affordable price. The brand will debut in Italy, with the first MOXY HOTEL expected to open in Milan in early 2014To grow the brand rapidly, Marriott is working closely with Inter Hospitality who will be the initial developer and owner of the first MOXY HOTELS properties. Marriott has selected Nordic Hospitality to be its first franchisee to operate the brand. Nordic Hospitality is an experienced hotel operator that currently manages several Marriott brand hotels in Scandinavia.
[quote]?MOXY HOTELS is the essence of the next generation traveler, not only Gen X and Y but people with a younger sensibility, for whom contemporary style is paramount,? said Arne Sorenson, President and CEO of Marriott International. ?Every aspect of the hotel was thoughtfully researched and crafted to reflect and deliver on the changing lifestyles and expectations of this fast-growing customer segment. We believe Marriott will lead the way in redefining the traditional economy hotel experience throughout Europe. We are thrilled to be able to launch the brand with Inter Hospitality as an owner and Nordic as our franchisee. With a dedicated real estate partner and an experienced operator, we expect a fast start and the exceptional customer service that is associated with all of Marriott?s brands.?[/quote]
Marriott plans to add 150 franchised MOXY HOTELS in Europe over the next 10 years, aiming for locations in Germany, Austria, United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Italy, The Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The new brand will fuel Marriott?s companywide growth in the region, which is expected to reach 80,000 rooms by 2015.
Amy McPherson, president and managing director of Marriott International in Europe, added, ?We see a huge opportunity to expand our market share in Europe with MOXY HOTELS. The economy tier in Europe represents nearly half of total room supply, yet only 20 percent of these hotels are branded. MOXY HOTELS will be a great addition to our portfolio of brands in Europe.?
Peter Andrews, managing director of Inter Hospitality, commented, “The agreement with Marriott and Nordic Hospitality gives us a great opportunity to use our development expertise to build a high-quality hotel property investment portfolio. Our initial focus is on acquiring sites for the new brand in Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium and Austria. Over the next 5 years we aim to secure at least 50 sites for development.”
MOXY HOTELS has been in development for nearly two years. Marriott, together with Nordic Hospitality, has conducted extensive consumer research across Europe including construction of sample rooms for focus group studies.
According to Ramesh Jackson, brand vice president of MOXY HOTELS, ?No design element was too small to test with these tech-savvy consumers. We learned that these confident explorers are wildly self-sufficient, but still want a chance to connect with each other in inviting social spaces in person or digitally. Based on the concept test results we believe MOXY HOTELS will revolutionize the industry.?
Harald Jacobsen, President and CEO of Nordic Hospitality, stated: “We are proud to be part of the development of this brand and to be the preferred operating partner for MOXY HOTELS. We believe strongly in the competitiveness of the concept and we are convinced that our partnership with both Marriott and Inter Hospitality will result in a rapid development for MOXY HOTELS.”
The contemporary and stylish 150- to 300-room MOXY HOTELS, which are being designed with the goal of attaining LEED? (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, will cater to today?s budget-minded, savvy travellers who thrive on self-service and embrace new technology. Guestrooms will be functional and well-designed, with upscale bath amenities, large flat screen televisions and built-in USB ports located within each wall socket. The color palette features calming neutral tones reminiscent of rich brown leather, combined with natural materials to evoke an organic, comfortable and restorative feel. Each room will also feature a floor to ceiling signature ?art wall? that is hand selected to reflect the local city or surroundings.
MOXY HOTELS will feature adaptable public spaces for guests to relax and socialize offering healthy continental breakfast and an evening bar featuring wines by the glass and local brews. In addition, hotels will have two ?Plug and Meet? meeting spaces on the lobby level designed with modern ergonomic seating, large writing walls and 56-inch televisions for presentation projection. The lobby will boast state-of-the art computers and 24/7 market featuring snacks and drinks.
Guests will enjoy free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, and may opt to check in using their mobile devices.
MOXY HOTELS will also be part of Marriott Rewards, Marriott International?s award-winning global guest loyalty program with more than 40 million members worldwide.
The terms of the agreement (s) were not disclosed, but are not material to Marriott International.
[box type=”tick” style=”rounded”]Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) is a leading lodging company based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA with more than 3,800 properties in 74 countries and territories and reported revenues of nearly $12 billion in fiscal year 2012. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 18 brands.
Inter Hospitality Holding B.V. was established in January 2012 to create long term value for the Property Division of Inter IKEA Group by developing and investing in hotel properties and student properties across Europe. Currently its focus is on acquiring sites for hotel development in Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium and Austria. Inter Hospitality is located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Nordic Hospitality AS is a Norwegian hotel management and development company operating Marriott hotels in Scandinavia under franchise agreement. The company’s pipeline currently includes hotels in Poland, Finland and The Netherlands. In August 2012, a new central office in Amsterdam was established to support development and operations for the new MOXY HOTELS.[/box]
Note on forward-looking statements: The number of MOXY HOTELS we plan to open in the future, and timing and locations of those openings, and the features of the to-be-opened hotels are all ?forward-looking statements? within the meaning of federal securities laws, and are not historical facts. We caution you that these statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those we identify below and other risk factors that we identify in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K. Risks that could affect the forward-looking statements include changes in market conditions; economic conditions in Europe, competitive conditions in the lodging industry; and the availability of capital to finance hotel development. Any of these factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations we express or imply in this press release. We make these forward-looking statements as of February 19, 2013. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise..