Originally Posted by
C17PSGR
Canadians do travel a lot ... so they start with some brand recognition.
I haven't stayed at a Delta hotel but its my sense that Marriott is using it like Hilton uses Doubletree, a flag for existing hotels that wouldn't otherwise meet brand standards.
All these brands start to confuse me ... what is the difference between the target market for Springhill Suites and Fairfield Inn? Why are AC and a CY right next to each other? What's the difference between a Delta and an Autograph? Seems to me a marketing 101 student would say there are too many brands out there ...
As a 22-year general manager for Marriott International told me, a hotel owner or developer in a particular market doesn't want to own and/or operate five hotels of the same brand. It's also unlikely a competitor would want to open a Renaissance if there's a Renaissance nearby. But another brand -- even if it's basically the same -- allows an owner or developer to get more of the market share because the hotels are different brands. For the vast majority of properties in North America, this is money in the bank for Marriott because they do nothing but sit back and collect money.
Less than 10% of Marriott's hotels, across all brands, in North America are managed by Marriott. No wonder there are so many inconsistencies in elite benefits.