Originally Posted by
Collierkr
This reason doesn't have anything definitively to do with MARRIOTT, rather they don't want to be part of a lagre chain. Same would apply with Hilton, etc.
Oh yes it did. What was unwritten, but squarely part of the Parker team decision was an association with the specific name Marriott and the tackiness that comes with it. I know this is mean to say, but they didn't want Pepsi-cooler toting Courtyard people showing up in their lobby. Of course you can argue that the Parker properties would have been perfect under the Autograph brand umbrella, but I do (having interacted with them over the years) think the owners didn't want association with the Marriott name. They really did have a unique deal with Le Meridien that seemed to be working after they got past the scandal.