Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links below. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
In August 2023, I wrote about Marriott completing the acquisition of City Express. The Latin-American hotel chain has 150 hotels in Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and Costa Rica. The portfolio consists of five brands, including: City Express, City Express Plus, City Express Suites, City Express Junior, and City Centro. Now, Marriott has announced that it is bringing this brand to the United States and Canada. This expansion marks the hotelier’s entry into the affordable midscale transient segment in the region.
Previously referred to as Project Mid-T by Marriott, this brand expansion is part of the company’s continued focus on strengthening its presence in the affordable midscale segment and being able to offer lodging options at every budget level. The acquisition of the City Express portfolio increased Marriott’s footprint in the Latin America by approximately 45%. Marriott will now work to expand its footprint across the United States and Canada.
The City Express by Marriott brand is designed to be conversion-friendly and this will also mean that hotel owners will not need to invest as much or be held to strict brand standards. City Express by Marriott will also give owners the opportunity to take advantage of Marriott’s powerful sales, distribution, and marketing engines.
Diana Plazas-Trowbridge, Senior Vice President and Global Brand Leader, Select Brands at Marriott, said:
Since entering the affordable midscale space with the acquisition of City Express in the Caribbean and Latin America (CALA) region just over a year ago, we have seen tremendous interest for the brand and are pleased with its growth across the region. With this announcement, Marriott is excited to continue our growth in the affordable midscale segment and provide a new welcoming, affordable, and reliable option for value-conscious travelers in the US & Canada.”
These hotels will become part of Marriott Bonvoy® and will offer guests the ability to earn and redeem miles throughout the portfolio. While it has not been explicitly stated, it’s likely that the hotels under the City Express by Marriott brand will earn at the same rates as those in Latin America. Guests staying at these hotels earn 5x points per $1 spent and one night towards elite status for every two stayed. This is essentially half of what members earn at other Marriott brands and an unfortunate way to disincentivize guests.
Anthony’s Take: While it’s great to have more available rooms and the additions in Latin America filled some gaps for Marriott, the earning structure and lack of firm brand standards will likely keep me away.
(Image Credits: City Express.)
User Generated Content Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat encourages constructive discussions, comments, and questions. Responses are not provided by or commissioned by any bank advertisers. These responses have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the responsibility of the bank advertiser to respond to comments.
Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
