Marriott(萬豪國際)為了新一代旅客，宣布計劃導入其在歐洲的連鎖酒店- AC飯店至美國。今年年初，Marriott推出了與宜家家居合作的新酒店品牌- Moxy，而這家飯店將滿足整個歐洲的新一代旅客。

AC飯店源於馬德里，於2010年被Marriott買回，並重新命名為AC飯店。Marriott期望這將有助於擴大其在歐洲大陸的足跡。這也導致Marriott 的79間 AC飯店遍佈西班牙，葡萄牙，法國和意大利。現在，Marriott將在未來10年中在美國進行同樣的計劃(開設200多間AC飯店)。

如果Marriott能完好得鎖定部分商務旅客，這將意味著一個大幅度的收入增進。根據飯店經營者的研究，21至49歲並一年旅行三次以上的商務旅客每年約消費34億美元在飯店住宿。

AC飯店的設計師認為新一代旅客喜愛雅緻的設計、免費的無線網絡、公共飲食區和工作區。每間飯店將設有AC圖書館(即休息起居室)，館內有寬廣的公用桌以供工作與社交活動使用，並附上書籍資料以供閱讀。無論民眾有沒有在飯店住宿，都可以預先透過網路預定AC圖書館的空間。

當然，其他酒店經營者也試著抓住新一代旅客的商機，如喜達屋酒店國際集團旗下的雅樂軒酒店、洲際酒店集團旗下的英迪格酒店，及Commune Hotels & Resorts上週宣布開幕的Tommie酒店。康乃爾大學飯店管理學院副教授Chekitan Dev在接受訪問時表示，有許多酒店品牌為了迎合新一代旅客的市場需求紛紛提供智慧的室內設計和先進的技術，這將是一塊預期會有所成長的領域。

Marriott is making another bid for Millennial travelers as it announces plans to import its European-based hotel chain, AC, to America. Earlier this year, Marriott introduced a partnership with IKEA for a new hotel brand called Moxy, which will cater to Millennials across Europe.

AC Hotels, which is based in Madrid, was bought by Marriott back in 2010 and rechristened AC Hotels by Marriott, HotelChatter.com reports. The hope was that it would help Marriott expand its footprint across that continent, USA Today reports. That’s resulted in 79 AC Hotels by Marriott across Spain, Portugal, France and Italy. Now it’s looking to do the same in the States with a plan for 200 more in the next 10 years.

"It's the right time to bring it to the US," says Brian King, global brand officer for Marriott Endorsed Brands, according to USA Today. "You import wine and you import cars. We're going to import a hotel brand."

If Marriott can lock up a good portion of Millennial business travelers, it could mean a big boost to revenue. According to research done by the hotelier, “business travelers ages 21 to 49 who make three or more business trips a year spend $34 billion on hotel rooms,” USA Today notes.

The way AC designers see it, Millennials like a sleek design, free WiFi and communal eating and working areas. Each hotel will feature the AC Library, “offering wide communal tables for working and socializing along with locally relevant reading materials” as well as a lounge. Folks who aren’t staying at the hotel can even use the AC Library if they book space ahead of time on Marriott’s new Workspace on Demand.

Of course, other hoteliers are after that demographic as well, such as Starwood's Aloft, IHG's Hotel Indigo, and Tommie, which was announced by Commune Hotels & Resorts last week. "There are multiple brands that are capitalizing on the Millennial demand growth with smart design and advanced technology," Chekitan Dev, an associate professor at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, told USA Today. "This space is expected to grow."

In a bid to get ahead of the curve, Marriott recently announced that it is opening a 10,000-square-foot Innovation Lab below its Bethesda, M.D., headquarters. With the space, the company will “test for things such as the best positioning of a bed in a hotel room and the layout of a bathroom,” the Washington Business Journal reports.

摘譯自BrandChannel：

http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2013/06/03/Marriott-AC-Hotels-060313.aspx#continue

參考資料來源

1. http://www.marriott.com/default.mi
2. http://www.forrester.com/10+Important+Insights+About+Millennial+Travelers/fulltext/-/E-RES42113