WASHINGTON and NEW YORK, June 14 -- Marriott
International, Inc., (NYSE:MAR) is partnering
with Ian Schrager, who invented the concept
of the boutique hotel 23 years ago, to create
a new brand of as many as 100 hotels that will
combine the personal, intimate, individualized
and unique lodging experience that Mr. Schrager
created with Marriott's operational expertise
on a global scale. According to J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman
and CEO of Marriott International, the marriage
of the premier lodging company worldwide with
the pioneer of the lifestyle boutique hotel
is an attempt by both to push the boundaries,
break new ground and take the hotel industry
to a new level. "Nobody has done what
Ian has been able to do with his hotels time
and again, and he is the perfect partner to
help us create and launch a new, modern genre
of hotel," said Mr. Marriott. "These
hotels will be an excellent complement to the
Marriott portfolio of brands and allow us to
use our global platform and ability to execute
to create something completely new, different
and original- the first truly global branded
boutique lifestyle hotel on a large scale.
We expect the brand to set the standard for
decades to come." The brand, the brainchild of the new partners,
responds to new cultural and social imperatives
that Mr. Schrager says have emerged. This brand
will reflect these changing lifestyles and
cater to a vast underserved market of guests
expecting and in turn demanding a unique experience
not merely a place to sleep. "Together
Marriott and I have a new vision and plan to
radically rethink and catapult the lifestyle
boutique hotel into the present by capturing
the spirit of the times," said Mr. Schrager. "People today are sophisticated and they
understand good design, quality, originality
and commitment to excellence. They will not
accept something derivative and they want the
ethos and soul of a hotel to be authentic and
have character. They also expect and deserve
impeccable, modern and gracious personalized
service that is at the same time luxurious
yet down to earth. It is the ultimate balancing
act of these apparent contradictions to create
a hotel that is simultaneously specific and
customized yet universal. We intend to make
this type of lodging widely accessible and
available for the first time in the key lodging
destinations across the globe and to everybody
around the world who wants it." The hotels will be located in gateway cities
throughout North and South America, Europe
and Asia. The initial list of markets to be
explored includes New York, Miami, Los Angeles,
Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, Boston,
and Las Vegas in the U.S.; London, Paris, Berlin,
Frankfurt, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan and Rome
in Europe; and Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore,
Bangkok, Seoul and Tokyo in Asia. With an average
size of 150-200 rooms, each of the hotels will
reflect the best of the cultural and social
milieu of its location and of the time. A diverse
set of world-renowned architects and designers
will be recruited to create one-of-a-kind buildings
spanning the complete range of project types,
from new construction, to conversions, to dramatic
renovations. The partners expect these hotels
to be not just the most aesthetically pleasing
in their markets but to be the most environmentally
responsible as well. According to Mr. Schrager, the brand's unifying
aesthetic will be in its approach and attitude
to the modern lifestyle rather than its appearance,
with design and architecture derived from the
scale, location and feel of the individual
properties. "The brand will be about an
attitude, about a feeling rather than a look," he
said. "Sophisticated public spaces, finishes,
design and details will serve the experience
not drive it." The partners will divide responsibilities
for rolling out the brand, with Mr. Schrager
leading the effort on concept, design, marketing,
branding and food and beverage. Marriott will
oversee the development process, and operate
and manage the completed hotels. In particular,
Marriott will use its relationships in the
development community to identify appropriate
potential development partners and owners in
various markets. The partners expect to have
at least five firm development deals signed
under the new brand by the end of 2007 and
100 hotels open or in the pipeline within a
decade. "The scale of this brand requires the
reach, resources and expertise of a global
player like Marriott, while the innovation
necessary calls for the experience and originality
of the category's most accomplished entrepreneur,
Ian Schrager," said Mr. Marriott. Editor's Note: Recorded audio from today's
press conference will be available at approximately
12 noon Eastern Time by visiting http://www.marriott.com/investor.
The webcast will be available until Sept. 7,
2007 at the same site. About Ian Schrager Entrepreneur Ian Schrager has achieved international
recognition for concepts that have revolutionized
both the entertainment and hospitality industries.
His keen instincts for the mood and feel of
popular culture were honed during the 70's
and 80's, when he and his late business partner,
Steve Rubell, created Studio 54 and Palladium.
The pair soon turned their attention to the
hotel business, opening Morgans Hotel in 1984,
introducing the concept of the "boutique
hotel" to the world. Following this were
Royalton Hotel and Paramount Hotel, in which
Schrager again broke with industry convention
by creating "lobby socializing," where
the hotel lobby became a new kind of gathering
place for guests and New York City residents
alike, and "cheap chic," where affordable
luxury was offered in a stylish and sophisticated
environment. After leaving Morgans Hotel Group
in 2005, Mr. Schrager founded Ian Schrager
Company, which owns, develops, manages and
brands hotels, residential and mixed-use projects.
It is currently involved in projects in New
York, Miami and Las Vegas as well as other
gateway cities around the world. His first
residential project, 50 Gramercy Park North,
provides unique luxury residences adjacent
to the only private park in New York City with
world-class service from the Gramercy Park
Hotel, another recent project from Ian Schrager
Company, designed in collaboration with artist,
Julian Schnabel. In addition, Mr. Schrager
is nearing completion on his second residential
project, 40 Bond, slated for occupancy in June
2007. The building, designed by eminent Swiss
architects Herzog & de Meuron, is their
first residential project in America and combines
luxury apartments and townhouses. The first
townhouses built in New York City in generations
offer unprecedented, innovative and sophisticated
layouts, details and finishes. About Marriott International MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. (NYSE:MAR) is
a leading lodging company with nearly 2,900
lodging properties in the United States and
67 other countries and territories across 18
lodging and vacation resort ownership brands.
The company is headquartered in Washington,
D.C., and had approximately 151,000 employees
at 2006 year-end. It is ranked as the lodging
industry's most admired company and one of
the best places to work for by FORTUNE(R).
The company is also a 2006 U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR(R) Partner.
In fiscal year 2006, Marriott International
reported sales from continuing operations of
$12.2 billion. For more information or reservations,
please visit our web site at www.marriott.com. Note: This press release contains "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of federal
securities laws, including statements about
the number of hotels that will be opened in
future years, expected locations of hotels,
and similar statements concerning anticipated
future events and expectations that are not
historical facts. We caution you that these
statements are not guarantees of future performance
and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties,
including the duration and extent of growth
in the economy and the lodging industry; supply
and demand changes for hotel rooms, competitive
conditions in the lodging industry; the availability
of capital to finance hotel growth; and other
identified "Risk Factors" in Marriott
International, Inc.'s most recent annual reports
on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form
10-Q; any of which could cause actual results
to differ materially from those expressed in
or implied by the statements herein. These
statements are made as of the date of this
press release, and we undertake no obligation
to publicly update or revise any forward-looking
statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise. FCMN Contact: Elizabeth.McGlasson@marriott.com Tom Marder Marriott International 301-380-2553, thomas.marder@marriott.com Laura Hynes Keller Rubenstein Associates,
Inc. (Ian Schrager) 212-843-8095 lhynes@rubenstein.com |