Marriott International has expanded its AC by Marriott brand out of Europe for the first time with the opening of AC Hotel New Orleans Bourbon.
The lifestyle brand has made its North American debut in an historic, 220-room property on the edge of the city’s French Quarter. It is operating under a franchise agreement with NewcrestImage, a Texas-based hotel development, construction and management company.
Founded in 1998 by Spanish hotelier Antonio Catalan, AC Hotels by Marriott was formed as a joint venture in 2011 and currently offers a portfolio of more than 75 hotels throughout Spain, Italy, Portugal and France.
Further openings under the brand are expected in Kansas City and Miami Beach early next year, with another 50 hotels set to open within the next three years throughout the US and Latin America.
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Speaking at the hotel’s opening ceremony yesterday (December 8), Marriott International president and CEO Arne Sorenson said: “With the continued rise of the millennial traveller we saw an opportunity to import this highly successful European brand from overseas with the hope of introducing a more experiential and design led, upper moderate tier lifestyle brand to the US.
“We are proud to partner with NewcrestImage as we debut the first AC Hotel by Marriott here in vibrant city of New Orleans.”
The new hotel features a number of European touch points, including in its design a cuisine.
In September, Marriott International set out plans to add more than 1300 hotels to its portfolio around the world over the next three years, with the Middle East and Africa region set to be a key rea of growth.
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