Marriott is aiming to lure Millennial travelers away from Airbnb with Moxy, a brand of small, stylish hotel rooms, the Washington Post reports. The guestrooms, which at less than 200 square feet are approximately half the size of the typical hotel room, are designed to be bare-bones. Instead, the brand focuses on luring young travelers with affordable rates and common areas with extra perks.
“The old conventional hotel model was a customer checked in, went straight to their room and never came out,” Tony Capuano, Marriott’s chief development officer, told the Washington Post. “We have a very attractively designed guest room, with a European sensibility, with really exciting public spaces, that will encourage guests to come down.”
While the first hotel in the brand opened in Milan back in September 2014, Marriott is now gearing up for an aggressive expansion in the U.S. and Europe, The Wall Street Journal says. Marriott has signed franchise agreements for eight Moxy hotels in the U.S., with notable locations including New York, San Francisco, Seattle and New Orleans. In Europe, approximately 20 Moxy hotels are planned, ranging from London to Munich.
While microhotels are not a popular concept in the U.S., being part of Marriott's global brand could help Moxy bring the idea into the country, hotel analyst Ryan Meliker told the Wall Street Journal. "Being part of a system gives them a leg up" in terms of marketing clout, he said.
Visit moxy-hotels.marriott.com