Marriott's New Boutique Hotel Chain: EDITION
There's an article in today's Washington Post about this announcement to be made in Los Angeles today - the new chain will be called "Edition". I'd like to try them out (as long as they participate in Marriott Rewards).
Maybe someone with more time than I have right now can post a link to the article? |
A link requires a login, so here is the Article.
With 'Edition,' Marriott Goes Boutique
By Michael S. Rosenwald Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, January 29, 2008; Page D01 Bill Marriott and Ian Schrager, two of the unlikeliest business partners in lodging history, finally have a name for their new boutique hotel chain: Edition. The announcement of the name, scheduled for today in Los Angeles, comes seven months after the pair revealed their partnership on the roof club of Schrager's eclectic Gramercy Park Hotel in New York, and nearly 10 years after Marriott International rival Starwood launched its boutique W Hotel concept to much fanfare. Marriott said in an interview that the name took several months to work out and ultimately emerged from Schrager's team, which is not surprising given that the 75-year-old chief executive has said his Bethesda-based company didn't have the creative chops to enter the boutique space on its own. "I like the name," Marriott said. "You can use it as the new Edition or the 14th Street Edition or the Wall Street Edition. Anything you want to put in front of it ties in with the name." Schrager, the proprietor of the Studio 54 nightclub who later became the creative godfather of boutique hotels, said Edition clicked because of the idea behind the entire project -- that each hotel, while similar in sophistication and atmosphere, would be designed to fit in with the local surroundings and culture. "Each city, each location will be its own separate edition," Schrager said. Schrager and Marriott are to also announce today the first nine locations for what both parties hope will eventually be a collection of more than 100 Editions. The first Edition is to open around 2010 in Paris, followed shortly after by South Beach in Miami. The District will get an Edition in the 18th Street corridor, though no details on timetable or location were available. There will be two Editions in Los Angeles -- one in Hollywood, the other potentially at the $2.5 billion L.A. Live project, where there are also plans for two other high-end Marriott properties. Chicago is on the list, as are Scottsdale, Ariz.; Costa Rica; and Madrid. Marriott's entry into the boutique business comes after some of its rivals are already established in the space. But the company has sometimes sought to sit on the sidelines and watch what others do first, then come in and dominate by sheer scale and pinpoint execution. Boutiques are important for Marriott because they create a younger buzz than traditional business or leisure travel do. The hotels also have high room rates and rake in good money spent on fancy meals, drinks and entertainment. The designs for Edition are still in the preliminary phases, but Marriott said the hotels will "look like they were invented by Ian Schrager and not by Bill Marriott, and that's why we got him." Marriott and his company have been known, for the most part, for classic design. Schrager's Gramercy Park Hotel is described on its Web site as "Bohemia reinvented for the 21st century." The combination of two such differing sensibilities brings to mind a question that many in the hotel world have been asking for months: Just how are Bill Marriott and Ian Schrager getting along? Schrager admits, "On the surface we may not look the same." Marriott is a devout Mormon, a spinner of Glenn Miller tunes and an old-fashioned gentleman. Schrager is none of those things. On the balconies of his Studio 54 nightclub, people did more than just drink. He can be volatile. He spent time in prison for tax evasion. Marriott said: "It's been fine. He's been very cooperative, very thoughtful." And Schrager said: "Everyone said this would be the partnership from hell, that we would never get along. But my DNA is similar to Bill Marriott's. He's a perfectionist. He loves what he does. He wants to be involved with something really special." And they need each other. With Schrager, Marriott gets not only a burst of creativity but also credibility in the boutique hotel market. With Marriott, Schrager gets scale and the opportunity to take his creative powers around the world. "The pundits will be proven wrong," Schrager said. |
New dress on an old goat.
It would be nice if MI spent the $$$$ they waste on this PR cr#p on improving their training programs and making their customers feel like they were important to them. |
Originally Posted by bigguyinpasadena
(Post 9153642)
New dress on an old goat.
It would be nice if MI spent the $$$$ they waste on this PR cr#p on improving their training programs and making their customers feel like they were important to them. |
Originally Posted by bhatnasx
(Post 9153963)
Maybe customers who don't seem to have the ability to ever feel important should take their business elsewhere.
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Hmmmm. Sounds okay to me, but I wish the creative energy was being applied to the two mainline brands instead of spawning a new one with a few hotels. There are a lot of Renaissances out there in bad need of a facelift - but could fill a bit of a creative niche...
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Originally Posted by bhatnasx
(Post 9153963)
Maybe customers who don't seem to have the ability to ever feel important should take their business elsewhere.
How very odd! |
Originally Posted by GrizShel
(Post 9153119)
I'd like to try them out (as long as they participate in Marriott Rewards).
"As with Ritz-Carlton, which Marriott acquired in 1998, there will be no overt evidence of Marriott's involvement, says Marriott Chief Financial Officer Arne Sorenson." That doesn't bode well for the inclusion of Marriott Rewards. And, of course, Marriott has opted not to include Marriott Rewards at either its Ritz Carlton brand (other than redeeming points) or its Bulgari brand. |
Originally Posted by ohmark
(Post 9157234)
That doesn't bode well for the inclusion of Marriott Rewards. And, of course, Marriott has opted not to include Marriott Rewards at either its Ritz Carlton brand (other than redeeming points) or its Bulgari brand.
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Memo to Marriott:
It would be nice if you got flat screen TVs into the FS properties this year (2008). Your competitors are way ahead of you on this. I was at SFO Marriott over New Years - the TVs there were in just terrible shape. |
Can Marriott please worry about more important things than launching a new brand? :rolleyes:
How about eliminating blackouts for award reservations (ala.. Starwood and now Hilton) How about upgrading the online booking process for an award. How about ensuring that the properties you do have abide by MR guarantees & policies? Get your act together :mad: |
This would appear to be a good move for Marriott. They're going to bring in customers who otherwise would patronize other brands, unlike fixing Renaissance which mainly draws guests who would otherwise stay at a FS Marriott (my opinion).
I, for one, don't expect to spend a lot of nights in Editions particularly if they follow the W model very closely (tiny rooms, snooty attitude, faux-hipster coolness). So as long as Marriott has the corporate resources to continue focusing on what currently makes them my chain of choice while also expanding into a new market, I'm happy. After all, when they announce a new hotel somewhere it's not like we all come out and say "Well I wish they would put flat-screen TVs in the current hotels before opening new ones." From what I've seen Marriott is doing a major refurb across the FS properties. They've also begun in earnest to set Renaissance apart with some unique touches. Good luck, Marriott. I hope Edition does what you want it to do. |
Originally Posted by DJ_Iceman
(Post 9159782)
This would appear to be a good move for Marriott. They're going to bring in customers who otherwise would patronize other brands, unlike fixing Renaissance which mainly draws guests who would otherwise stay at a FS Marriott (my opinion).
I, for one, don't expect to spend a lot of nights in Editions particularly if they follow the W model very closely (tiny rooms, snooty attitude, faux-hipster coolness). So as long as Marriott has the corporate resources to continue focusing on what currently makes them my chain of choice while also expanding into a new market, I'm happy. After all, when they announce a new hotel somewhere it's not like we all come out and say "Well I wish they would put flat-screen TVs in the current hotels before opening new ones." From what I've seen Marriott is doing a major refurb across the FS properties. They've also begun in earnest to set Renaissance apart with some unique touches. Good luck, Marriott. I hope Edition does what you want it to do. I spent 159 nights in FS properties last year (2007), and saw, at most, 2 whole FS properties with flat screens. You might want to do your research in the future. |
Originally Posted by freeupgrade
(Post 9159900)
I find your response very rude, and your sarcasm is uncalled for.
I spent 159 nights in FS properties last year (2007), and saw, at most, 2 whole FS properties with flat screens. You might want to do your research in the future. As for those flat screens, until they get rid of that crappy On Command system and get programming that can take advantage of the wide aspect ratio, the flat screens are an annoyance rather than a feature. |
Originally Posted by freeupgrade
(Post 9159900)
I find your response very rude, and your sarcasm is uncalled for.
I spent 159 nights in FS properties last year (2007), and saw, at most, 2 whole FS properties with flat screens. You might want to do your research in the future. I spent less time than you in FS properties but apparently was lucky enough to be at more properties that have done the upgrades. I certainly spent a lot of time staring at old-style CRT televisions, but I know that Marriott is rolling out new TVs and frankly that's not a deal-breaker to me either way. P.S. You're platinum premier with Marriott (with 159 nights in FS properties last year), diamond with Hilton, and platinum with Starwood? Yikes! I hope you're not wasting money on a mortage or rent, because you're not spending enough time at home to make it worth it! But can we get back to talking about Edition, please? |
They can call it "Foo-Foo" or whatever they want, as long as it meets my needs and my price points and lets me earn and spend MR points.
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Originally Posted by cyberdad
(Post 9164886)
They can call it "Foo-Foo" or whatever they want, as long as it meets my needs and my price points and lets me earn and spend MR points.
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Any clue as to where in Madrid? Has construction begun?
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Bill Marriott's blog - Marriot on the Move - Playing the Name Game
Playing the Name Game Posted: March 24, 2008 2:19:05 PM As most of you probably know, we've teamed up with that famous inventor of boutique hotels, Ian Schrager, to develop hotels together. We've finally come up with a great name, which Ian and I really enjoy. It's called Edition. The reaction has been very positive. There's a lot of buzz around it. A lot may not understand the significance of the name. When it comes to names, of course, everyone has an opinion. Let me give you mine: Boutique hotels are unique because each one is different from the next - no two are exactly the same. Each hotel has its own look and feel, and for Edition that means each hotel will reflect on the city and location where it is located. So our South Beach edition will be the South Beach Edition. The Paris hotel will be the Paris Edition and so on. All this talk got me thinking about our brands we've named over the past few decades. I already told you how Fairfield Inn got its name - after our family farm. It's a special name to me because it reminds me of family and the feelings of comfort and home when I'm at our farm. Courtyard, our largest brand, is another interesting story. It started as the internal code name we used for the project. We designed those original hotels around a landscaped courtyard. Even though we were tossing around other ideas for the official name, that Courtyard name stuck. Twenty-five years later, Courtyard is one of the most recognizable brand names in lodging. These names were created to emphasize specific features of the brand and to evoke certain feelings. I really think Ian Schrager and Marriott have captured the spirit and the purpose of our new boutique brand with the name Edition. When people think of a business travel hotel, they think of Courtyard. Some day Edition will evoke the same good feeling for its customer segment. I'm Bill Marriott and thanks for helping me keep Marriott on the move. ------------------- Personally, I'm not a fan of boutique hotels. The all-black, turtle-neck wearing hipsters that work at the places make me feel dorky, and I don't really want to spend $200 a night to feel dorky. However, many others do seem to like the boutique hotels, so this seems like a good addition to the brands. As others have said, hopefully points and nights will go into MR. Greg |
Originally Posted by GregWTravels
(Post 9462364)
The all-black, turtle-neck wearing hipsters that work at the places make me feel dorky, ...
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Marriott Edition Hotel planned for Chicago is evidently not going to happen:
http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.co...ws.pl?id=33060 |
Edition website
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Does anyone have any updates about Edition?
I have seen recently that Edition Istanbul is on track to open in Istanbul next year. And that Edition Chicago is cancelled.... |
http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/20...ul_in_December
I emailed Marriott last week, asking if there is any update? The response I got was as if I had come from anther planet. The responder seemed clueless about what I was talking about. I guess Edition is dead..... |
I heard on the radio (biggest radio station in Wash DC area) that Marriott was opening a new chain called Signature Series. This was while I was driving past Marriott Corporate Offices off I-270 in Bethesda, MD. Did I hear this wrong?
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Originally Posted by cova
(Post 13263800)
I heard that Marriott was opening a new chain called Signature Series.
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Originally Posted by travelexpert
(Post 13262882)
http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/20...ul_in_December
I emailed Marriott last week, asking if there is any update? The response I got was as if I had come from anther planet. The responder seemed clueless about what I was talking about. I guess Edition is dead..... |
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Originally Posted by DenverBrian
(Post 13266455)
Wow - that's definitely a vaporware site.
Thanks for the chuckle DenverBrian |
Originally Posted by socrates
(Post 13265746)
Edition isn't dead....there are I think 4 that will open shortly
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Originally Posted by travelexpert
(Post 13271304)
How do you know this?
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Originally Posted by socrates
(Post 13273060)
....if you do a google of "edition" I'm sure it'll turn up
Nothing at Marriot.com. "Contact Marriott" got a response from a staff person who clearly had no idea what I was talking about. |
Originally Posted by travelexpert
(Post 13279603)
Have tried Googling--nothing new (beyond the original announcement).
Nothing at Marriot.com. "Contact Marriott" got a response from a staff person who clearly had no idea what I was talking about. |
Edition Waikiki in July
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Business traveller article; more info up at editionhotels.com
http://www.businesstraveller.com/new...i-beach-and-is
http://www.editionhotels.com/en-us/ including introductory special offers at the Waikiki. |
Originally Posted by sspicer
(Post 14109838)
http://www.businesstraveller.com/new...i-beach-and-is
http://www.editionhotels.com/en-us/ including introductory special offers at the Waikiki. |
Who is doing these web sites? They're awful and make me want to kill myself.
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The “Private Sunset Beach” sounds pretty cool, a glass of Veuve Clicquot anyone? What are the chances of Plats getting upgraded?
Ohh and it’s a Cat 8…
Originally Posted by GeoGirl
(Post 14113323)
Private Sunset Beach Access
The Private Sunset Beach is an exotic hub with its own lagoon and imported sands from neighboring Hawaiian islands. Under tall graceful palms and native dune foliage,the Sunset Beach, will provide the same experience as lying on the beach. With lounge chairs set in the water,the Sunset Beach is perfect for lounging and play, this seductively secluded place is one of the Waikiki EDITION"s most outstanding and desired locales Executive Chef Kaleo Adams prepares 3 culinary presentation featuring Hawaiian Cuisine made with local grown produce 11 am - 12 pm 2 pm - 3 pm 5 pm - 6 pm Complimentary Veuve Clicquot Champagne served throughout day Exclusive daily access, must be 21 years or older Access is for up to 2 adults Additional person fee $75 per day, based upon availability You can also have your sunscreen and tanning lotion applied by The Private Sunset Beach Tanning Hosts throughout the day. **Your exclusive access to this experience is guaranteed upon booking this reservation.**. |
The Private Sunset Beach is an exotic hub with its own lagoon and imported sands from neighboring Hawaiian islands. Under tall graceful palms and native dune foliage,the Sunset Beach, will provide the same experience as lying on the beach. |
Originally Posted by oxfordjames
(Post 14115036)
Ohh and it’s a Cat 8…
I tried a few dates, but couldn't get their "introductory" $195/night rate to come up with the online tool. We may have to call in to get it (or there are very few dates/nights that they are really offering it.) :eek: |
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