Marriott International announces solid growth in the Caribbean and Latin America in 2023

Following the recent announcement of strong global net room growth and a record year in global new project signings, Marriott International today announced strong performance in new project signings and number of rooms in the Caribbean and Latin America region ( CALA) during 2023. The company has almost doubled its number of signed management and franchise agreements organically in CALA since 2022, signing 57 transactions and almost 7,300 rooms in 2023 to reach 24,000 rooms across the region by the end of last year .

Over the course of 2023, Marriott added more than 170 hotels to its portfolio, expanding its presence to nearly 500 properties, including hotels and residences, and approximately 87,000 rooms distributed in 37 countries and territories. This growth consolidates Marriott as the largest hotel chain in the region by number of rooms open and in development.

At the end of last year, Marriott's hotels in development in the region amounted to 155 properties and more than 24,000 rooms, consolidating its leadership in the luxury segment in the region, as well as new proposals in the limited service segment and the increase in its offer of all-inclusive properties.

“We are pleased to share an extraordinary year of expansion for Marriott in the CALA region, characterized by strong hotel development activity in 2023. With continued dynamism in conversions and our continued expansion across various segments, including luxury and all-inclusive “We remain focused on providing our guests and owners with unmatched offers,” commented Laurent de Kousemaeker, Chief Development Officer for Marriott International in the Caribbean and Latin America. “We see exceptional opportunities to achieve significant growth in the region, especially highlighted in the limited service segment with City Express by Marriott, which provides us with exciting growth opportunities in secondary and tertiary markets throughout the region.”

City Express by Marriott

In 2023, Marriott strategically positioned CALA as the launch zone for the company's entry into the high-growth limited service segment with the acquisition of the City Express portfolio of brands. With 150 properties, and approximately 17,500 rooms in Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia and Chile, the agreement increased Marriott's presence in the region by approximately 45%. In 2024, the City Express by Marriott brand is expected to continue expanding with new properties throughout the region.

Luxury growth in the region

With 60 properties across six of the company's seven global luxury brands, Marriott remains the top choice for luxury travelers in the region, offering a broad portfolio of options, from pristine beaches to urban escapes. Notable openings in 2023 include the debut of The Riviera Maya EDITION at Kanai (Mexico) in November 2023 and The St. Regis Kanai Resort (Mexico) early last year. Luxury openings planned for 2024 include JW Marriott Sint Maarten Beach Resort (Sint Marteen), Almare, a Luxury Collection All-inclusive Resort Isla Mujeres (Mexico), Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Papagayo (Costa Rica), The St. Regis Aruba (Aruba), W Punta Cana, All-Inclusive, The St. Regis Cap Cana Resort (Dominican Republic) and W Sao Paulo (Brazil). The region has a luxury portfolio of 34 properties and more than 5,000 rooms.

Driving hotel conversions

Hotel conversions continue to boom in the region. Nearly 35% of rooms signed by Marriott at CALA during 2023 were conversions, including recent announcements from Villa Lapas, Autograph Collection (Costa Rica), Aloft Guadalajara Country Club, Sheraton Guadalajara Expo and Delta Hotels Puebla (Mexico), and Las Terrenas, Autograph Collection (Dominican Republic). Hoteliers and investors are taking advantage of the efficiencies and advantages of renovating and rebranding existing properties across the region, further expanding the reach of Marriott Bonvoy's portfolio of more than 30 global brands.

All Inclusive by Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott's portfolio of all-inclusive resorts continues to meet consumer demand. With 31 all-inclusive properties open in CALA, located in nine markets (Mexico - Riviera Nayarit and Cancun, Jamaica, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Grenada and Brazil) and four brands (Autograph Collection, Delta , Westin and Luxury Collection), and 18 additional properties signed, the company offers its guests more all-inclusive options. Recently, the hotel chain signed the second Ritz-Carlton All-Inclusive property in the region, which will be located on the shores of Yanuna, Dominican Republic, along with a Luxury Collection All-Inclusive Resort to bring a new level of luxury to the Republic. Dominican.

All-inclusive openings planned for 2024 in the region include Almare, a Luxury Collection All-inclusive Resort Isla Mujeres (Mexico), W Punta Cana, All-Inclusive (Dominican Republic), and the rebranding of several Elegant Hotels properties (Treasure Beach, The House and Waves) to the Autograph Collection brand in Barbados, which will increase the number on Marriott's global all-inclusive roster to 49 open properties, across 12 markets and 10 brands. Six of these all-inclusive properties will open in 2024.

Portfolio of branded residences

The popularity of branded residences in CALA is seeing an increase in customer demand. Marriott currently has 15 properties open in 11 markets across the region. Residential openings planned for 2024 include The Residences at The St. Regis Kanai Resort (Mexico), Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve Residence, Papagayo (Costa Rica), The Residences at The St. Regis Cap Cana Resort (Dominican Republic) and the W Residences Sao Paulo (Brazil). Globally, the company has 115 residential projects in development.

Marriott Bonvoy®

Marriott Bonvoy®, the company's award-winning travel program, has a community of more than 6 million members in CALA and continues to grow to offer an even richer travel experience to its members, with new strategic alliances and more ways to Earn and accumulate points throughout the region. In May 2023, the company signed a strategic collaboration with Rappi, the multi-Latin technology company, further improving the benefits and offers for its partners, allowing the company to connect with Rappi's more than 20 million users in Argentina, Brazil , Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.

As Marriott continues to expand its footprint and offerings in CALA, the region is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the reach and scale of its portfolio, with a wide variety of growth and development opportunities.