The Ritz-Carlton, Wuhan
Marriott International has further cemented its position in China with the signing of its 100th hotel in the country, the 345-room JW Marriott Hotel Shenyang.
Marriott currently operates 56 hotels in China representing The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance, Courtyard and Marriott Executive Apartments brands, and it has a pipeline of confirmed projects totalling 44 hotels across the range. China is now the group’s most important market outside of the US and it expects to open a hotel in China at the rate of one per month during the next three years.
Marriott International’s growth in the mainland has been led by its luxury brands, namely Ritz-Carlton, Marriott Hotels & Resorts and JW Marriot. Its lifestyle brand, Renaissance Hotels is growing quickly, as is its mid-range Courtyard by Marriott brand.
In shanghai alone, Marriott has made its presence felt with 18 properties operational and an additional five hotels expected to open in the next three years. Looking ahead, the group will strengthen its position in key gateway cities and begin branching out into tier II and tier III cities as well.
Commenting on Marriott International’s growth plans, Simon Cooper, Marriott International’s President and Managing Director for Asia Pacific, said; “China is an incredible market and it is a great endorsement of our operations in the country that we have reached the benchmark of 100 hotels open or under development here.
“Asia is a key market for us, and China is the driver of Asia. We are totally committed to the country and to our operations here.”
This belief is underlined by Marriott’s decision to relocate its regional headquarters to Hong Kong, so it can be closer and more responsive to the Chinese market. This is already generating results with a rapidly increasing Chinese membership to Marriott Rewards. China has the fastest growing membership, which is expected to double by the end of this year.