Originally Posted by
JamesEaston
Renaissance was a hotel chain that Marriott bought in 1997 (or 98). The reason some cities have both is because, in many cases, Renaissance was there first. That was one of the reasons Marriott bought the chain, to get a footprint in cities it didn't have it's signature hotels. It certainly as nothing to do with what was written here.
Again, my point is simply that it would make sense for Marriott Hotels and Renaissance Hotels to be in the same category. Both are positioned as traditional full-service hotels. Marriott Hotels tend to have more brand consistency than Renaissance Hotels, but calling the former "Signature" and the latter "Lifestyle" is just marketing.
Yes, Marriott acquired 114 Renaissance Hotels in 1997 (along with some other brands). Many, but not all of them, are still Renaissance-branded. Marriott expects to reach nearly 170 Renaissance Hotels in 40 countries by the end of 2014.
Some of the newer Renaissance-branded hotels went into geographic markets where Marriott already had an established Marriott Hotel. And, yes, some new Marriott Hotels went into geographic markets where there was already a Renaissance Hotel.
Originally Posted by
JamesEaston
This is simply a wild guess, not a factual statement, and even as a guess it makes no sense. Anyone who has stayed in both AC hotels and Autograph hotels would know that they belong in the same listing as would Four Seasons and Ibis.
Again, I'm am not agreeing with or justifying how Marriott has defined and populated its categories.
It is factual to say that Marriott refers to the category as "Lifestyle/Collections."
It is factual to say that Marriott press releases use the term "lifestyle" when defining AC Hotels. ("AC Hotels by Marriott reflect the modern urban lifestyle with hotels featuring a unique blend of quality, comfort, design and technology.")
It is factual to say that Autograph Collection has "collection" right in its name and that Marriott stresses the collection/ensemble character of the brand. ("The Autograph Collection is an evolving ensemble of strikingly independent hotels.")
The categories don't have to mean that all brands within the category provide the same level of amenities and services. If they were truly the same, they could be lumped into the same brand, not just into the same category.