Marriott’s Revamp of Aloft and Element Points to the Future of Select Service Hotels
Photo Credit: Marriott debuted a new design prototype for Aloft Hotels following feedback from owners and consumers shortly after its acquisition of Starwood closed. Marriott International
Skift Take
Everyone suspected the efficiency and consistency of the Marriott "machine" would be a perfect match up for Starwood's creative and innovative lifestyle brands. While it appears to be working for Aloft and Element, the true measure of success will be what Marriott can do with a brand like Sheraton.
After Marriott purchased Starwood Hotels & Resorts for $13.3 billion in September 2016, a tough question emerged: What would Marriott do with all those 30 brands in its now expanded portfolio?
Whether the company needs 30 brands is another issue, and one that's widely debated in the hospitality industry.
However, a little more than one year after the deal closed, we're beginning to see what Marriott has done with those 11 Starwood brands it inherited, and one of the best examples of that is the company's efforts to try to reinvigorate the Aloft and Element brands.
Investors and owners are still keenly interested in both of the categories these brands represent — select service and extended stay — and Marriott knows Aloft and Element haven't scaled up to their potential. Marriott has opted to focus on revamping these brands while the cycle still has legs.
Aloft and Element owners essentially told Marriott that the biggest problems with both brands are construction
