Autograph Collection is an American group of independent upper-upscale to luxury hotels within the Marriott International portfolio. The properties are independently owned and operated under the Autograph Collection name.
Industry | Hospitality |
---|---|
Founded | 2010 |
Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
Number of locations | 199 hotels (June 30, 2020)[1] |
Area served | Global |
Parent | Marriott International |
Website | www |
History
editTo grow in the post-2008 economic downturn, Marriott, known for its rigid uniformity, was willing to relax this stipulation to draw independent unique hotels to its network of franchised properties.[2] In 2010, Marriott approached Richard Kessler, an independent hotelier and former CEO of Days Inn, to incorporate the seven Kessler boutique properties into its system, under a yet unnamed new brand.[3]
In 2006, Kessler had dropped the Westin brand affiliation from his downtown Orlando hotel to operate independently.[4] Initially reluctant, Kessler came to an acceptable arrangement.[3] The hotels would operate autonomously, keeping their names and identities.[4] The Autograph Collection launched that year, with the Kessler properties forming the bulk of the hotel inventory.[3] This freedom may seem unfair to branded properties, sometimes subject to intransigent brand standards or extra fees, but the difference is that these independents bear the cost of creating their own brand identities from scratch.[5]
The new name highlighted not a brand, but a collection of hotels.[5] The Leading Hotels of the World, targeting high-end customers looking for unique hotel experiences, had long dominated this market.[6] Not displaying the Marriott branding or Marriott booking engine on the Autograph website, not only emphasized the unique experiences of these independent hotels,[7] but also shielded the hospitality giant's various brands from fallout should the venture fail.[4]
The selection included historical landmark buildings rejuvenated into the 21st century, but offering a hotel experience far different from a normal “cookie-cutter” property.[6] The collection sought hotels that possessed an element of authentic local flavor and cultural distinction to provide guests with an enriching stay. The experience itself, and service, replaced the traditional definitions of luxury, such as the number of bathroom fixtures and thread count of the bed sheets and drapes.[3] In addition to displaying hotels by location, guests could search the website by specifying unique preferences, such as culinary, historic exploration, arts, family, sports and urban.[7]
Over time, the growth emphasis shifted from adding existing properties to proposals and new builds that incorporated the desired features.[8]
Whereas advantageous in a buoyant economy, during a downturn, the backing from the diverse customer base of a big brand might be a savior.[9] Major soft brands launches were Ascend by Choice (2008), Autograph by Marriott (2010), Curio by Hilton (2014), Best Western Premier (2014), Unbound by Hyatt (2016), and Trademark by Wyndham (2017). Marriott continues to promote growth in its three soft brands, The Luxury Collection, Tribute Portfolio, and Autograph.[6]
To the guest, a soft brand hotel possesses the distinctive identity, design style, and regional flair of a leading independent property. To the hotelier, it accesses the global marketing channels, customer loyalty rewards program, staff training model, seamless back-of-house operational standards, and new technologies, provided by Marriott or its rivals. In addition, the major online travel booking sites charge 15 to 30 percent commission. However, larger companies like Marriott use their market power to negotiate the lowest rates from those agents.[10] Twelve months after a conversion to the Autograph Collection, independent hotels have experienced an average RevPAR percentage increase of 19.8 percent and an average RevPAR index percentage change of 12.5 percent.[5]
In January 2017, Autograph began the Independent Film Initiative at the Sundance Film Festival with the Autograph Collection Hotels & The Black List Sundance Social Space. The Annual Black List is a comprehensive list of strong screenplays that require financing. Autograph has its own indie film channel for hotel guests.[11] The Autograph Collection Short Film Award was created to discover new talent and accelerate the development of independent filmmakers.[12] Furthermore, Autograph provides a complimentary one-week hotel stay to chosen writers as an opportunity to develop their work.[13]
The Autograph Collection comprises a portfolio of 4- and 5-star properties that have ranged from a 15-room boutique hunting lodge in the Colorado mountains to the 3,400-room Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, The Bahamas.[14]
Accommodations
editHistorical
editYear | Type | US | Non-US | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
2010[15] | Properties | 13 | 0 | 13 |
Rooms | 3,828 | 0 | 3,828 | |
2011[16] | Properties | 17 | 10 | 27 |
Rooms | 5,207 | 898 | 6,105 | |
2012[17] | Properties | 24 | 13 | 37 |
Rooms | 6,609 | 1,404 | 8,013 | |
2013[18] | Properties | 32 | 24 | 56 |
Rooms | 8,410 | 3,053 | 11,463 | |
2014[19] | Properties | 44 | 31 | 75 |
Rooms | 10,082 | 7,428 | 17,510 |
From 2015
editNorth America |
Europe | Middle E. & Africa |
Pacific |
Asia &Caribbean Latin Am. |
Total | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015[20] | Properties | 55 | 30 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 95 |
Rooms | 13,135 | 4,344 | 446 | 785 | 4,098 | 22,808 | |
2016[21] | Properties | 64 | 33 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 111 |
Rooms | 14,299 | 4,710 | 532 | 1,195 | 4,203 | 24,939 | |
2017[22] | Properties | 78 | 38 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 135 |
Rooms | 17,107 | 5,403 | 1,102 | 1,895 | 4,313 | 29,820 | |
2018[23] | Properties | 95 | 46 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 166 |
Rooms | 20,218 | 6,466 | 1,738 | 2,167 | 4,313 | 34,902 | |
2019[24] | Properties | 108 | 53 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 192 |
Rooms | 22,463 | 7,165 | 1,906 | 2,364 | 3,751 | 37,649 | |
2020[25] | Properties | 123 | 54 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 209 |
Rooms | 25,449 | 6,468 | 1,640 | 3,245 | 3,751 | 40,553 | |
2021[26] | Properties | 136 | 58 | 8 | 16 | 35 | 253 |
Rooms | 27,807 | 7,298 | 1,629 | 3,706 | 11,154 | 51,594 | |
2022[27] | Properties | 146 | 68 | 13 | 19 | 36 | 282 |
Rooms | 29,678 | 8,482 | 2,344 | 4,455 | 12,158 | 57,117 | |
2023[28] | Properties | 153 | 77 | 15 | 22 | 37 | 304 |
Rooms | 31,321 | 10,010 | 2,402 | 4,703 | 12,448 | 60,884 |
Properties
editThis article is written like a manual or guide. (April 2024) |
As of June 30, 2020, the Autograph Collection consisted of 199 hotels in over 32 countries, with another 95 hotels with 16,941 rooms in its pipeline.[1]
British Virgin Islands
edit- The Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina in the British Virgin Islands[29] The hotel has since left the program. https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Scrub-Island-drop-Autograph-Collection-affiliation
Canada
edit- The Algonquin Resort St. Andrews By-The-Sea, St Andrews, NB
Germany
edit- Hotel am Steinplatz in Berlin
- The Falkenstein Grand in Königstein im Taunus
- The Hotel Atlantic in Hamburg
- Villa Rothschild in Königstein im Taunus
- Hotel Luc in Berlin
Ireland
editJapan
editMexico
editUnited Kingdom
edit- The Glasshouse in Edinburgh[32]
- The Threadneedles Hotel in London[33][34]
- The University Arms Hotel in Cambridge[35]
United States
edit- The Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, Texas,[36]
- The Algonquin Hotel Times Square in Manhattan, New York City, New York[37]
- The Arrowhead Springs Hotel and Spa in Lake Arrowhead, California
- The Hotel Blackhawk in Davenport, Iowa[38]
- The Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, Colorado
- Hotel Carmichael in Carmel, Indiana[39]
- The Casa Monica Hotel in St. Augustine, Florida
- The Castle Hotel in Orlando, Florida[40]
- The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada[33][41]
- The Cloudveil in Jackson, Wyoming[42]
- The Current Iowa in Davenport, Iowa[43]
- The Historic Davenport in Spokane, Washington
- The Daytona in Daytona Beach, Fl.[44]
- The Draftsman in Charlottesville, Virginia[45]
- The Hotel Duval in Tallahassee, Florida[46]
- The Éilan Hotel & Spa in San Antonio, Texas,[47]
- The Fenway Hotel in Dunedin, Florida
- The Grand Hotel in Fairhope, Alabama
- The Henry in Dearborn, Michigan[48]
- The Hi-Lo Hotel in Portland, Oregon[49]
- The Hotel Cleveland in Cleveland, Ohio[50][51]
- The Hotel Icon in Houston, Texas,[47]
- The Lexington Hotel in New York City[52]
- The Lytle Park Hotel in Cincinnati, Ohio
- The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in Kohala Coast, Hawaii
- The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC
- Hotel Metro in Milwaukee, Wisconsin[53]
- The Metropolitan at The 9 in Cleveland, Ohio[54]
- The Morrison House in Alexandria, Virginia[55]
- The Paso Del Norte in El Paso, Texas
- The Press Hotel in Portland, Maine[56]
- The Stella Hotel in Bryan, Texas.[57]
- The Union Station Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee
- The National in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma[58]
References
edit- ^ a b "Autograph Collection". Marriott Hotels Development. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
- ^ Berzon, Alexandra (25 January 2010). "Independent Hotels Sign On With Marriott". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ a b c d "Marriott Hopes Its Autograph Collection Brand Will Boost Its Cool Factor". Skift.com. 13 January 2014.
- ^ a b c "Kessler hotels join Marriott's Autograph Collection". Orlandosentinel.com. 25 Jan 2010.
- ^ a b c "Hotel Management, 11 Jun 2014". Hotelmanagement.net.
- ^ a b c "Kipsu, Rise of Soft Brands". Kipsu.com.
- ^ a b "Hotel News Now, 14 Oct 2011". Hotelnewsnow.com. 14 October 2011.
- ^ "Market Screener, 20 Sep 2012". Marketscreener.com. 20 September 2012.
- ^ "Exactly Like Nothing Else". Leadersmag.com.
- ^ Weed, Julie (21 October 2019). "New York Times, 21 Oct 2019". The New York Times.
- ^ "PR News, 19 Oct 2016". Prnewswire.com (Press release).
- ^ "The Indie Film Project". Marriott.com.
- ^ "Maggie Gyllenhaal partners with Autograph Collection Hotels to empower female screenwriters". Marieclaire.co.uk. 24 April 2019.
- ^ "Autograph Collection hotels in the pipeline". Canadianlodgingnews.com. Archived from the original on 2020-10-30.
- ^ "2010 Annual Report". Marriott.gcs-web.com. p. 18.
- ^ "2011 Annual Report". Marriott.gcs-web.com. p. 19.
- ^ "2012 Annual Report". Marriott.gcs-web.com. p. 22.
- ^ "2013 Annual Report". Marriott.gcs-web.com. p. 20.
- ^ "2014 Annual Report". Marriott.gcs-web.com. p. 17.
- ^ "2015 Annual Report". Marriott.gcs-web.com. p. 5.
- ^ "2016 Annual Report". Marriott.gcs-web.com. p. 7.
- ^ "2017 Annual Report". Marriott.gcs-web.com. p. 7.
- ^ "2018 Annual Report". Marriott.gcs-web.com. p. 6.
- ^ "2019 Annual Report". Marriott.gcs-web.com. p. 6.
- ^ "2020 Annual Report". Marriott.gcs-web.com. p. 13.
- ^ "2021 Annual Report". Marriott.gcs-web.com. p. 6.
- ^ "2022 Annual Report". Marriott.gcs-web.com. p. 6.
- ^ "2023 Annual Report". Marriott.gcs-web.com. p. 6.
- ^ "Best Autograph Collection Hotels". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
- ^ "Independent Boutique Hotel Locations , Autograph Collection". Marriott International. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
- ^ "Google Travel". google.com. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
- ^ "Threadneedles London". Theglasshousehotel.co.uk. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ a b Nieset, Lane (January 1, 2015). "Top 8 Marriott Autograph Collection Hotels". The Points Guy. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
- ^ "Threadneedles London". Hotelthreadneedles.co.uk. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "Luxury Hotel Accommodation in Cambridge since 1844". Universityarms.com. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "History, pricey upgrades for Dallas' Adolphus lead to pact with Marriott". Dallas News. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- ^ "Finest Luxury - Hotel Near Times Square | The Algonquin Hotel". Algonquinhotel.com. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "Autograph Collection: Blackhawk Hotel". Marriot.com.
- ^ "Hotel Carmichael: A New Boutique Luxury Hotel in Carmel, Indiana". www.hotelcarmichael.com. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
- ^ "Castle Hotel, Autograph Collection". Marriott.com. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "Las Vegas Luxury Hotel | The Cosmopolitan". Cosmopolitanlasvegas.com. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ Kester, Jennifer. "The Cloudveil Hotel Debuts In Jackson Hole". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
- ^ "Home | the Current". Archived from the original on 2019-01-25. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- ^ "Boutique Hotel in Daytona Beach, Florida | The Daytona, Autograph Collection". Marriott.com. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "The Draftsman Hotel - Downtown Charlottesville VA Hotel". Thedraftsmanhotel.com. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "Premium Hotel Locations | Autograph Collection Hotels". Autograph-hotels.marriott.com. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ a b "Portfolio". Crescent Hotels & Resorts. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ^ "The Henry, Autograph Collection". Behenry.com. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "Hi-Lo Hotel | A Luxury Hotel in Portland, Oregon". Hi-lo-hotel.com. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ Oprea, Mark. "Hotel Cleveland, After Year of $80 Million Renovations, Will Open Anew in April". Cleveland Scene.
- ^ Sims, Megan. "After $90 million renovation, Hotel Cleveland to reopen in June". cleveland.com.
- ^ Oseid, John (July 16, 2014). "The Lexington New York City: A Jazz Age Makeover". Forbes. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
- ^ "Hotel Metro. Autograph Collection. Overview". Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ "The Metropolitan at The 9 - Downtown Cleveland Hotels". Metropolitancleveland.com. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "Best Hotels in Old Town Alexandria". Morrisonhouse.com. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "Hotel in Portland, Maine | Book a Suite Today". Thepresshotel.com. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "The Stella Hotel joins Marriott's Autograph Collection". kagstv.com. October 8, 2021.
- ^ "Best Hotels Downtown OKC | The National Hotel Official Website".
External links
editMedia related to Autograph Collection hotels at Wikimedia Commons