Marriott International’s presence in the Canadian market strengthened, as the company celebrated a 36 percent year over year increase in hotel-level leisure revenue in 2023. With 274 hotels currently open and 90 in the pipeline, several factors, including a dedicated focus on lifestyle, upper midscale and extended stay brands; as well as market-specific loyalty program offerings and partnerships, continue to drive the company’s success in Canada.
Lifestyle Brands Driving Success
In an effort to meet the increased demand for leisure travel, Marriott continues to focus on the lifestyle sector with conversion-friendly collection brands such as Autograph Collection and Tribute Portfolio. These “soft brands” offer design flexibility and can provide excellent opportunities for developers and hotel owners wishing to target leisure guests seeking distinctive and unique experiences in stunning locations. One notable example is the HONEYROSE Hotel, Montreal, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel with its art-deco-inspired design and blend of vintage and modern amenities, ideally situated in the heart of downtown Montreal.
“In addition to development teams in Eastern and Western Canada, Marriott International has dedicated sales and marketing teams across Canada,” says Paul Cahill, Senior Vice President, Canada Operations, Marriott International. “Our Canadian-based team engages with owners, developers, customers and guests to truly understand what’s important to these stakeholders in this market. We’re focused on growing our presence in Canada with new openings, localized Marriott Bonvoy partnerships and programming.”
Marriott recently enhanced its leisure offerings in Canada with the introduction of Moxy Hotels, launching its first two properties with the opening of Moxy Halifax Downtown in January 2024 and Moxy Banff which debuted this spring. Moxy Hotels are also planned for various gateway cities throughout Canada including Montreal, Vancouver, and Ottawa over the next three years.
Strategic Focus on Upper Midscale and Extended Stay Brands
With a full operating team and development team for both managed and franchised hotels in Canada, the company is well-positioned to address underserved segments in the Canadian hotel market, including extended stay, upper midscale and midscale properties. Two of the marquee brands in these segments, Fairfield by Marriott (31 hotels open in Canada) and TownePlace Suites by Marriott (21 hotels open in Canada), are amongst the fastest-growing brands in the country, with 24 and 25 properties in Marriott’s pipeline, respectively.
“Marriott International has experienced strong momentum in Canada due to our dedicated focus on conversions and upper midscale and extended stay brands,” says Noah Silverman, Global Development Officer, U.S. & Canada at Marriott International. “We’re expecting leisure demand in Canada to remain strong throughout 2024, particularly in destinations like Vancouver Island, the Okanagan Valley, Atlantic Canada and the Niagara Region.”
Loyalty Enrollment Contributing to Increased Growth
Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott’s highly awarded travel program with around 203 million members worldwide, offers guests access to more than 30 hotel brands and 10,000 destinations, an unparalleled array of experiences, and robust benefits. There are numerous ways for members to maximize their membership through everyday activities, such as credit card purchases and dining out, that will lead to more rewarding travel. Marriott Bonvoy offers once-in-a-lifetime experiences with the best in entertainment, sports, arts, culture, culinary and wellness from Marriott Bonvoy Moments. Members can redeem these experiences by using points accumulated from travel and other activities.
With a deep understanding of the market-specific needs of guests, Marriott Bonvoy has developed a loyal following among Canadians. Through localized marketing efforts and strategic relationships with Live Nation Canada, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Montreal Canadiens and others, engagement with Canadian members is strong. Canadian members can also benefit from global offerings such as the opportunity to bid on access to the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team during the Montreal race weekend or experiences with Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour including the opportunity to win a trip to Vancouver including air travel, hotel accommodations, two (2) concert tickets, and a Marriott Bonvoy welcome gift.
