Originally Posted by
user48640
I think Marriott should just brand its all-inclusive properties (be they these properties, the previously announced ones or any future ones) as "All-in by Marriott." Why reinvent the wheel and confuse
brands? And the idea that Autograph Collection is
not a brand is absurd.
Then count me among the absurdity believers. The Autograph Collection is NOT a brand in any typical functional sense of the term. Do you actually stay in Autograph Collection properties? They have minimal Autograph Collection/Marriott branding anywhere in and on their properties. I happen to be looking at a notepad from the Watermark in BTR as I'm writing this. The notepad proclaims the Watermark "A Downtown Landmark Since 1925" and has the property's logo (note - property logo), address, phone number, and website (not a Marriott URL) on the notepad. There is not a single mention of Autograph Collection, Marriott, or Bonvoy on the thing.
Calling it a "collection" is marketing/advertising-speak.
While that may be true, it's still more a collection than a brand as the Autograph Collection properties' primary brand is their property name, not the Marriott Autograph Collection affiliation.
Of course, even the listing of brands and categories of brands is misleading and inaccurate since there are sub-brands, like Sheraton Grand, the Marquis branded Marriott or JW Marriott properties, the all-suites Marriott properties, and the Westin or Sheraton timeshare properties that despite being called a Westin or Sheraton aren't actually a real Westin or Sheraton and don't provide full Bonvoy benefits.
The absurdity gets worse when Gaylord is placed into the "distinctive premium" category of brands alongside Le Meridien, Renaissance and Westin.
I would put Gaylord, Marriott Vacation Club, the Westin and Sheraton timeshares, and the new all-inclusive properties into the same brand category. For lack of a better term, call this category the "events and leisure" brands.
You are way too hung up on market segmentation. Marketing major perhaps? The fact of the matter is that with 5,000+ properties worldwide one cannot rely on a brand (or collection!) to signal anything. Even in brands that are really brands (W, RC, St.R, etc.) there are huge differences between the best and worst properties in those brands.
Obsessing over where a certain Marriott property fits in their hierarchy of brands is nearly as foolish as chasing Marriott status! Stay at nice hotels regardless of their brand and avoid the bad ones regardless of theirs.