Growth spurt: Marriott’s Edition brand slated to expand

Special Edition: Marriott’s sole Edition property is in Istanbul for now, but growth is in store.

By Mark Chesnut

It’s taken a while, but Marriott International’s Edition brand, the so-called lifestyle hotel chain developed in conjunction with hotelier Ian Schrager, is getting ready to grow. As a result, travelers will soon have new options when choosing New York hotels or planning a Miami vacation.

Marriott International dropped plans to open an Edition in Mexico City, and last year lost its Hawaii hotel, which is now called The Modern Honolulu. But Marriott is moving forward with a new growth strategy for its trendy new brand, with plans to operate six Edition hotels on three continents by 2015 (joining the existing Istanbul Edition). New hotels are slated to open in Miami, New York, Bangkok and Abu Dhabi, and contracts have been signed to open properties  in Los Angeles and Gurgaon, India.

According to Marriott International, the goal for the Edition brand is to combine the “personal, individualized and unique experiences which Ian Schrager is known for, with the global reach and operational expertise of Marriott International.”

The Miami Beach Edition, under construction in the former Seville Hotel, is to open in late 2013. Renovation on the New York Edition,  located at the Clock Tower building at 5 Madison Avenue in Manhattan, will begin in late 2012. The London Edition will open next year in a historic building once known as the Berners Hotel, in the city’s Fitzrovia district.

Also in the works is the Bangkok Edition, which will be part of a mixed-use development planned for one of the city’s tallest buildings. The Abu Dhabi Edition, meanwhile, will be part of the Al Bateen Harbor complex within the Abu Dhabi Marina, an upscale mixed-use development that includes luxury residential and retail components.

Related resources

• Bangkok hotels
• Miami hotels
• New York vacation

Mark Chesnut is a freelance writer, editor and publisher of LatinFlyer.com, which focuses on travel to Latin America. He loves hotel beds.

Tagged: Europe, Hotels