November 7, 2023

U.S. Marriott's Hotel Development Emphasizes "Individuality" rather than "Unity"

Major foreign hotel operators are promoting a business strategy called "collection," which is more "individuality" than "unity." It is a method of loose collaboration among hotel owners in various regions while maintaining a degree of freedom. According to a news article by Nikkei dated 7 November 2023, Mr. Philip Wegmann, global brand leader of the "Luxury Collection," operated by Marriott International of the United States, answered questions about the outlook in Japan as below.

Mr. Wegmann said, “Major Asian cities are promising in the future. Emphasis is placed on managing the hotel with local character rather than the uniformity of other luxury brands. Attract travelers with new experiences such as cooking. Leisure time as well as business demand is increasing.” Mr. Wegmann continued, "Marriott has more than 30 diverse hotel brands. In addition to meeting the needs of various travelers, it has the advantage of proposing brands based on the characteristics of the owner's property. Having multiple brands in the same city also avoids market saturation."

Hilton, Hyatt, Accor, and Intercontinental are developing a new brand in Japan besides Marriott. Why are major foreign hotel companies placing such importance on expanding their luxury brands into Japan? Why is Japan so important? This is because it will be a touchstone for foreign capital to expand in Asia. It will improve customer satisfaction with its meticulous hospitality honed in Japan for major cities such as Vietnam and India, where demand for travel by wealthy travelers is growing.