Marriott's Westin London City to open this summer
Hotel group Marriott International has confirmed its Westin London City property will be opening this summer.
The 222-bedroom hotel, designed by British architects Dexter Moren Associates, will be the first Westin-branded property in the UK with an 8,000 sq ft spa.
Originally due to open last year, the property is owned by hotel development company 4C Hotel Group and will be managed by RBH. The hotel will form a key part of the redevelopment of the former Queensbridge House site.
Speaking at a virtual press briefing earlier today, Marriott's EMEA president Satya Anand said he was "really excited" to see the debut of the brand in the UK in a "beautiful location" alongside the River Thames. The brand is focused on wellbeing and enabling guests to stay healthy while they travel, he highlighted, with the London City hotel set to have its own running concierge.
The group also confirmed the opening of its Moxy Manchester City in the fourth quarter of this year and highlighted that its portfolio of collection brands (Luxury Collection, Autograph Collection and Tribute Portfolio) was on an "exciting growth trajectory" across the EMEA region, according to Anand, with Marriott continuing to focus on growth despite the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Jenni Benzaquen, senior vice-president and managing director of both Marriott's EMEA brand portfolio and Design Hotels (which Marriott took full ownership of earlier this year), discussed trends the group is looking to tap into, including the rise of ‘bleisure' and remote working, multigenerational travel, destination hotels offering immersive experiences onsite and the increased desire for privacy with Marriott's Homes & Villas offering.
Although Anand admitted the hotel chain's 2025 sustainability goals had been impacted by the pandemic, he said Marriott remained committed to them. He also explained that he was confident pent-up demand for travel would lead to recovery, and revealed that in the 24 hours after Boris Johnson's reopening roadmap announcement, Marriott saw hotel booking activity surge 163%.
"It's absolutely clear that we have every reason to be optimistic," said Anand. "We are optimistic that recovery is coming."
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