Marriott debuts ‘Series’ brand with Kannampilly’s Concept Hospitality

Marriott International has tied up with India’s Concept Hospitality Pvt. Ltd to roll out the ‘Series by Marriott’ brand for value-conscious travelers seeking quality and consistency across the midscale and upscale segments.

Set up in 1996 by Param Kannampilly, Concept Hospitality is one of India’s leading hotel management firms with a portfolio of six brands and about 100 hotels operating in 90 locations.

Under a strategic deal between Concept Hospitality and Marriott, the former’s flagship brands—The Fern, The Fern Residency, and The Fern Habitat—will affiliate with Series by Marriott on an exclusive basis across India, with Marriott making an equity investment in CHPL.

The Fern portfolio comprises 84 open properties and 31 executed pipeline deals, totaling 115 properties and about 8,000 rooms.

Fern properties are expected to join Marriott’s portfolio in India over time following discussions with the third-party hotel owners and execution of long-term franchise agreements with those owners.

CG Hospitality, the hospitality division of the multi-national conglomerate CG Corp Global, is a majority stakeholder in CHPL.

Series by Marriott will expand Marriott’s global presence by bringing well-established regionally created brands and hotels that champion consistent quality and service into the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio, a company statement said.

Series by Marriott will offer guests comfortable stays in more places and provide regional owners access to the benefits of Marriott’s platforms, including the company’s award-winning Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, all while maintaining their portfolio’s independent identity, it added.

“Creating a new, regional collection brand will further Marriott’s reach among value-conscious travelers, provide additional choice for our existing Marriott Bonvoy members and guests, and offer more affiliation opportunities for local owners,” Anthony Capuano, president and chief executive at Marriott International, said.

“We are thrilled to launch Series by Marriott through our founding deal with CHPL. This deal will help meaningfully expand Marriott’s leading position in India, a key market for the company,” Capuano said.

“Through our majority stake in CHPL, we’ve nurtured The Fern brands as standard-bearers for eco-sensitive, high-quality hospitality in India. Being part of Series by Marriott will allow us to amplify our reach,” Binod Chaudhary, chairman of CG Corp Global, said.

“We are thrilled to partner with the world’s largest hospitality company in driving a new era of growth in India’s midscale segment. Our vision is to unlock the immense potential of tier-II and -III cities, as well as lesser-known destinations across India,” Param Kannampilly, chairman of Concept Hospitality, said.

Hotels in the Series by Marriott portfolio “will offer quality and value with clean, comfortable rooms, free Wi-Fi, daily coffee or tea, with breakfast, fitness centers and meetings and event spaces available at certain properties.”

Hotels will reflect the regions and customers they serve. As part of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, members staying at Series by Marriott properties will be able to earn and redeem points and enjoy member benefits, the statement said.

In addition to its founding deal with Concept Hospitality, Marriott is also in talks about the Series by Marriott brand with owners in the US, the Caribbean and Latin America, Europe, Middle East, and Africa.