Originally Posted by
lamphs
Please merge if this has been answered...
Looking for differentiation between all of the Marriott brands, and maybe what each brand considers its competition.
Marriott officially has 30 brands (although Marriott actually has a few more if one includes all timeshare brands and variations of Ritz-Carlton). Because you brought up Delta Hotels, I'll address Delta Hotels.
Originally Posted by
lamphs
Last minute booking at a Delta due to a delayed flight. It was recently renovated and just opened a few months ago under the Delta flag; generally a decent property for 8 hours.
I asked at the front desk 'what differentiates Delta from other Marriott brands' and 'what is Delta's competition'. Front desk agent stated that 'Delta is a premium brand, considered equal to FS Marriott and JW Marriott'. I mentioned the lack of a lounge. 'But, we have the Pantry.' He also told me that it the brand differentiation was confusing and that he actually fell asleep during a recent Marriott management class while this very topic was being presented.
Marriott has positioned Delta Hotels as its conversion brand, similar to Hilton's successful DoubleTree brand. Although some Delta Hotels go back to when it was an independent hotel company in Canada, and a few have been recent new-builds, most Delta Hotels over the past few years were converted from another full-service brand such as Raddison, Ramada Plaza, or Crowne Plaza. Usually it's a case of an owner investing in a significant renovation and wanting the benefits of being part of Marriott after the renovation — but without having to invest in all the physical characteristics required for the Marriott Hotels brand or the Renaissance Hotels brand.
Yes, the Delta Hotels brand offers essentially the same Elite benefits as the other Marriott legacy full-service premium brands — Marriott, Renaissance, Autograph Collection, and JW Marriott. But that doesn't mean Delta is "equal to FS Marriott and JW Marriott." JW Marriott and many Autograph Collection properties are luxury or near-luxury, while Delta tends to be at the more basic end of the full-service premium scale.
Also, a significant difference between Delta Hotels and the other four Marriott legacy full-service premium brands is that if a Delta Hotels property does not have an Elite lounge, a self-service Elite pantry without seating is an "approved alternative."