What does it mean when a hospitality giant debuts a new brand? The last few months have seen a few examples. Late last year, Hilton announced the Outset Collection, a wide-ranging group of spaces that included both a prime Chicago address and a hotel with close proximity to multiple national parks. Hilton, meanwhile, announced the Select by Hilton program last week, which kicked off with a partnership with Yotel.
Is Marriott about to be the next company in the space to branch into something new? That’s what Skift’s Sean O’Neill recently looked into with an exploration of the company’s trademark filings. What O’Neill turned up could be evidence of a new Marriott venture — or simply a name the company is looking to lock down for the forseeable future.
That name? Matter Hotels. As O’Neill reports, Marriott has taken a number of steps to secure that name, including a trademark filing in the U.S. along with multiple domain name registrations, all since earlier this month. Skift’s reporting also shows at least one case of a much earlier filing: a trademark registration made in Jamaica in the fall of last year.
One Year Later, Marriott’s Partnership With Sonder Is Over
A hospitality deal ends abruptlyLater in the article, O’Neill explores some options for what Marriott might be planning, if all of these filings are indeed a precursor to an announcement of a new brand in Marriott’s corporate hierarchy. There’s also another trend that this links up with: O’Neill writes that adding a new brand in a hospitality space that Marriott isn’t already present in could serve as “another on-ramp into its loyalty ecosystem.” It’s worth keeping an eye on as the year progresses.
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