TORONTO — Leisure travel is booming in Canada, and with 274 properties currently open across the country – and an astounding 90 more in the pipeline – Marriott International is reaping the rewards of a very big footprint.
The company celebrated a 36% year-over-year increase in hotel-level leisure revenue in 2023, and so far the outlook for 2024 is full steam ahead.
Paul Cahill, Senior Vice-President for Canada Operations for Marriott International, Inc. was in Toronto recently and spoke to the trade media about what’s new with the brand.
The Miami Beach EDITION
LE MERIDIEN ON ITS WAY BACK TO CANADA?
Or should we say brands? Because of course Marriott has not just one brand, not two, but 30 brands worldwide.
Canada is home to 21 of the 30, “but there’s no reason why all of the brands couldn’t be in Canada,” said Cahill.
In fact one of Marriott International’s most beloved brands could be making a return to the Canadian market in the near future.
Le Méridien once had a strong presence in both Toronto and Montreal, and there’s now the possibility the luxury brand could come back to Canada, at multiple locations. “Stay tuned,” said Cahill.
“ALL OF OUR TRAVELLERS TRAVEL IN ALL OF OUR BRANDS”
Cahill notes that while each of Marriott International’s brands have their own vibe and category, “all of our travellers travel in all our brands.”
He tells the story of a recent wedding he attended with his family in Atlanta, GA, home to several Marriott International properties at varying price points. One is a Moxy, which typically skews to a 25-35 demographic, and is known for its lack of check-in desk (guests check in at the bar) and fun, quirky atmosphere. When Cahill arrived to have a look at the Moxy, he found several of the wedding’s older guests whooping it up at the bar.
Moxy Halifax Downtown
Whatever works. “Marriott is the biggest hotel brand in the world, but we don’t talk about that much, we don’t put it out there too much,” says Cahill. “The important thing is, to be the best hotel brand in the world, you have to be where your customers are.”
Speaking of the Moxy brand, Canada is now home to two: the just-opened Moxy Banff, and Moxy Halifax Downtown, which opened earlier this year. Moxy Hotels are also planned for various gateway cities throughout Canada including Montreal, Vancouver, and Ottawa over the next three years.
Says Cahill: “Moxy Banff is a conversion, it’s a family-run hotel that’s been there since the 1960s and they wanted to have some fun with it.” Like turning an old 1960s Volkswagen bus into a coffee cart and parking it in the lobby. “Moxy is a lifestyle brand, it’s cool but not pretentious. The price points are lower and the square footage of the rooms tends to be smaller,” says Cahill.
Another of Marriott International’s brands that Cahill can see making a good fit in Canada: the Ian Schrager-designed EDITION Hotels. “It’s a concept that would be perfect for Vancouver, and Toronto. It’s a luxury brand in the lifestyle space. We’re looking for opportunities,” he says.
Like the Moxy Banff, a good number of the 90 hotels in Marriott International’s Canadian pipeline are conversions.
A recent Canadian market update notes the increased demand for leisure travel has Marriott continuing to focus on the lifestyle sector with conversion-friendly collection brands.
These also include Autograph Collection, and Tribute Portfolio. Case in point: HONEYROSE Hotel, Montreal, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, offered the owners and developers a chance to target couples, families and more with beautiful art-deco-inspired design and a blend of vintage and modern amenities, all with an ideal downtown Montreal location.
HONEYROSE Hotel, Montreal, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel
The company expects leisure demand in Canada to remain strong throughout 2024, particularly in destinations like Vancouver Island, the Okanagan Valley, Atlantic Canada and the Niagara Region.
MARRIOTT BONVOY: “YOU NAME IT, WE HAVE THE PARTNERSHIP”
Cahill notes that, in addition to development teams in Eastern and Western Canada, Marriott International has dedicated sales and marketing teams across Canada. “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 Bonvoy, of course, is Marriott International’s loyalty program. Launched in early 2019, it replaced Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG).
When it comes to a loyalty program like Marriott Bonvoy, “it’s not just about the road warriors anymore, collecting points,” says Cahill. “It can be, but it’s so much more. It’s about earning points to use points for unforgettable experiences.
The size and clout of Marriott Bonvoy – which of course is free to join – means those experiences can be truly memorable. Earlier this year Marriott announced that as a touring sponsor of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour in select cities, Marriott Bonvoy will offer an opportunity to attend the show of a lifetime with tickets to over 30 performances across Europe and North America. There’s the opportunity to see Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour through a sweepstakes, or through the Marriott Bonvoy Moments platform. There are multiple opportunities to see the show – including one trip to see three shows in three countries with tickets, flights and hotels provided by Marriott Bonvoy.
Marriott Bonvoy is a Touring Sponsor of Taylor Swift The Eras Tour in select cities (credit Taylor Swift The Eras Tour)
“It’s really something special. The access to experiences that Marriott Bonvoy members have, you wouldn’t have seen that 10 years ago. You name it, we have the partnership. And it’s thanks to these partnerships that Marriott Bonvoy members get access to exclusive experiences – in entertainment, sports, arts, culture, culinary and wellness and more – with Marriott Bonvoy Moments,” says Cahill.
Localized marketing efforts and strategic relationships in Canada with Marriott Bonvoy Moments include Live Nation Canada, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Montreal Canadiens and others.
BEST YEAR EVER FOR GROUP TRAVEL
Doubling down on leisure travel means Marriott International can wait out the slow but steady rebound for corporate travel. “The ‘revenge travel’ boom has been almost entirely leisure travel,” says Cahill, noting Marriott International’s 36% year over year revenue growth in leisure travel in Canada.
Group travel also came storming back, he adds, “starting in 2022 and just ramping up. For groups and conferences, 2023 was the best year ever, it was off the charts.”
Cahill also spoke about the importance of travel advisors, especially for Marriott International’s higher tier bookings. “One thing that has never changed is in the luxury travel segment. When you think about luxury travel, agents are still at the centre of that. Agents own those customers,” he said.
And what about the competition from short-term accommodation platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo and all the rest? “I think there’s a place for all of it. We say what we’ve always said: we just want a level playing field,” says Cahill.
In the meantime, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy was developed several years ago as an option for customers who want the home stay experience, “but who still want the safety and security and standards of a hotel. Our homes and villas get all the same high-level checks that our hotels get,” he says.
Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy
For more information about everything Marriott International, see Marriott.com.
