hotel signings drove Marriott’s Asia-Pacific growth in 2017

Marriott International's select-service brands drove the company's expansion in the Asia Pacific region this year with the most rooms signed in 2017, the most compared to rest of the Marriott brands. Now, the hotel groups' seven select-service brands—Fairfield by Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott, Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft, Moxy, Element and AC Hotels—have numerous properties in the Asia-Pacific pipeline for next year.

Marriott's select-service brands have gained a stronger presence not only in key markets, but also in second- and third-tier cities. “The select-service portfolio is picking up momentum in key markets including Greater China, India and Indonesia,” Peggy Fang Roe, chief sales and marketing officer, Asia-Pacific, Marriott International, said in a statement. “There’s also strong potential in South Korea, Australia, Japan and Southeast Asia.”

The Courtyard by Marriott brand recently expanded in China's secondary and tertiary markets with the Courtyard by Marriott Changsha and the Courtyard by Marriott Tianjin. Under the Courtyard brand, another set of openings are set for Zhengzhou, Shanghai and Chengdu in 2018. Now, China has 19 operating Courtyard hotels with another 38 signed properties lined up for the country. The brand debuted in Singapore's Novena healthcare hub in October 2017 with the Courtyard by Marriott Singapore Novena. Meanwhile, Marriott has plans to expand throughout South Asia's emerging markets, starting with the Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort opening in early 2018 as the brand's first property in Cambodia. Following the Cambodia property opening, Courtyards in Phnom Pehn, Nha trang, Vietnam and Yangon, Myanmar will also open next year.

Four Points by Sheraton has signed 13 new projects this year for the Asia-Pacific region. Following the March 2017 opening of Four Points by Sheraton Melbourne Docklands, the Four Points by Sheraton Auckland—the first Marriott International property to open in New Zealand—and the Four Points Sydney Central are set to open in the second half of 2018. The brand's first property in Vietnam—the Four Points by Sheraton Danang—and its second property in Korea—the Four Points by Sheraton Seoul, Gangnam—are also scheduled to open next year.

The region has 12 Fairfield by Marriott hotels currently open, and Marriott plans to triple the brand's footprint by 2019. The Fairfield Nanning Nanhu Park was the first of 100 Fairfield properties to open in Greater China over the next five years in line with a partnership between Marriott and Dossen International Group. Another eight Fairfield hotels are scheduled to open in China in 2018, including the Fairfield by Marriott Guangzhou Tianhe Park and the Fairfield by Marriott Hangzhou East. In South Asia, the brand has five properties in Amritsar, Coimbatore and Indore, India, with another 14 signed hotels in the pipeline. These include the Fairfield by Marriott Agra and five others all opening in 2018. Following the opening of Fairfield Kathmandu in May 2017—the company's first Fairfield in Nepal—the brand will debut in South Korea with the opening of the Fairfield by Marriott Seoul and the Fairfield by Marriott Busan Haeundae in summer 2018. In 2019, Busan will get another Fairfield property in the Songdo district.