Following two years of development, Marriott International is set to launch Moxy Hotels – its first entry into the economy tier in Europe – at the Berlin International Hotel Investment Forum. The three-star hospitality segment combines contemporary, stylish design and approachable service at an affordable price.
To assist in the brand’s rapid growth, Marriott is working closely with Inter Hospitality – a division of the Inter Ikea group, owner of the prominent Ikea trademark – which will be the initial developer and owner of the first Moxy Hotels properties. In addition, experienced hotel operator, Nordic Hospitality, will be the first franchisee to operate the brand. Nordic Hospitality currently manages several Marriott brand hotels in Scandinavia.
“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.”
Arne Sorenson, president and CEO at Marriott International
The first Moxy hotel is expected to open in Milan in early 2014. A further 150 franchised Moxy Hotels are planned to open in Europe over the next 10 years, aiming for locations such as Germany, Austria, the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The new brand will fuel Marriott’s company-wide growth in the region, which is expected to reach 80,000 rooms by 2015.
“Moxy Hotels is the essence of the next generation traveller – not only Gen X and Y, but people with a younger sensibility, for whom contemporary style is paramount,” says Arne Sorenson, president and CEO at 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.”
Amy McPherson, president and managing director at Marriott International in Europe, comments: “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% of these hotels are branded. Moxy Hotels will be a great addition to our portfolio of brands in Europe.”
Peter Andrews, managing director at Inter Hospitality, adds: “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 UK, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium and Austria. Over the next five years we aim to secure at least 50 sites for development.”
The contemporary and stylish 150-300-room Moxy Hotels – which are being designed with the goal of attaining LEED Gold certification from the US Green Building Council – will cater to today’s budget-minded, savvy travellers who thrive on self-service and embrace new technology.
Guest rooms 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 colour 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, which will be hand selected to reflect the local city or surroundings.
Moxy Hotels will be part of the Marriott Rewards scheme, Marriott International’s award-winning global guest loyalty programme, which has attracted more than 40m members worldwide.
