JW Marriott enters Japan, marking Marriott’s 800th property in Asia Pacific

Marriott International has announced the opening of its 800th property in Asia Pacific, the JW Marriott Nara in Japan. The launch marks the entry of the JW Marriott brand into Japan. The company also expects the EDITION and Aloft brands to debut in Japan before the end of the year.

“We remain confident in the resilience of travel, our owners and franchisees, guests and associates as well as the future prospects of lodging in Asia Pacific, our second largest market,” said Craig S. Smith, Group President, Asia Pacific for Marriott International.

“We are encouraged by recent trends, especially in China, where demand has been driven primarily by domestic tourism, and we will continue to focus on strengthening our footprint in this important, growing market,” he added.

Situated on the edge of a 1,300-year-old garden set on former royal palace grounds, the 158-room JW Marriott Nara is the first offering from the JW Marriott brand in the country. The EDITION Toranomon in Tokyo is slated to be the brand’s next big launch in the country.

Marriott International in Asia Pacific has, on average, added close to 80 hotels per year in the last three years, with its pipeline growing by nearly 10% annually over the same time period. In the first half of 2020 alone, the company recorded 73 new signings, including 43 in the Greater China region.

“These highly anticipated brand debuts are a testament to the confidence that the owner and franchisee community has in Asia Pacific, as well as Marriott International’s long-term vision, especially in today’s challenging business climate,” said Paul Foskey, Chief Development Officer, Marriott International, Asia Pacific.

This year, the company signed Singapore’s first two Autograph Collection hotels – Marriott International’s collection of independent hotels – both anticipated to fly the Autograph Collection brand flag in 2021.

With six billion domestic trips made in 2019 alone in China, largely attributed to a rise in average disposable income, demand for brands positioned at a moderate price-point such as Fairfield and Moxy has gained momentum amongst both travellers and hotel owners. To meet this growing demand and support franchisees, Marriott International has introduced an “Enhanced Franchise” model. Under this model, Marriott will appoint a general manager for the first year of a hotel’s opening to help train and equip franchisees to leverage Marriott’s powerful systems.

Marriott International also recently debuted the AC Hotels by Marriott brand in Asia Pacific with three AC by Marriott hotels in Malaysia earlier this year and the AC Hotels Tokyo Ginza earlier this month. AC Hotels by Marriott celebrates the beauty of modern design with its European soul and Spanish roots with hotels that are intuitively designed.

With millennials expected to return to travel first, the opening of the Moxy Shanghai Xujiahui this year is expected to be an ideal addition to the vibrant city. The millennial-focused Moxy brand features lively public spaces, minimalist design elements and rooms fitted with custom furniture that offers a playful style of travelling.