BETHESDA, Md. — Marriott International, Inc. this week announced a planned expansion of its all-inclusive portfolio through a long-term agreement with Sunwing Travel Group’s hotel division, Blue Diamond Resorts, which has a portfolio of resort properties throughout the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico. The agreement is expected to propel Marriott into the list of top 10 global all-inclusive players by adding 19 franchised resorts totaling nearly 7,000 rooms across six destinations and more than doubling the company’s presence in the all-inclusive segment to 33 properties by 2025. The majority of the properties are expected to be converted into Marriott’s Autograph Collection by mid 2021.
“We are thrilled to work with Sunwing Travel Group and expand into two new leisure destinations—St. Lucia and Antigua,” said Tony Capuano, group president, global development, design, and operations services, Marriott International. “Blue Diamond’s expertise in the all-inclusive segment and high-quality resorts will help ensure that these properties serve as excellent additions to the Marriott portfolio. Today’s signing is a testament to Marriott International’s scale and loyalty platform, and we look forward to providing travelers seeking an all-inclusive experience with more choices in the Caribbean and Latin America.”
Marriott International launched its multi-brand, all-inclusive portfolio platform in August 2019 and has nine open hotels across Costa Rica, Barbados, and Mexico with an additional five hotels in the pipeline in Mexico, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Brazil. With this new agreement, another 19 are expected to join the portfolio.
“We are excited to enter into this agreement with Marriott International, and introduce Blue Diamond Resorts’ portfolio of hotels to their Autograph Collection brand,” said Stephen Hunter, CEO, Sunwing Travel Group. “Our luxurious, award-winning hotels will benefit from Marriott’s world-renowned reputation and esteemed travel program, all while bolstering our mission to bring unparalleled vacation experiences to customers.”
The following resorts are anticipated to convert to the Autograph Collection:
Mexico
- 840-room Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa
- 343-room Hideaway at Royalton Riviera Cancun
- 566-room Planet Hollywood Beach Resort Cancun
- 332-room Planet Hollywood Adults Scene Cancun
- 457-room Royalton CHIC Suites Cancun Resort & Spa
Dominican Republic
- 730-room Royalton Bavaro Resort & Spa
- 320-room Royalton CHIC Punta Cana Resort & Spa
- 525-room Royalton Splash Punta Cana Resort & Spa
- 317-room Royalton Punta Cana Resort & Casino
- 168-room Hideaway at Royalton Punta Cana
Jamaica
- 352-room Royalton White Sands Montego Bay
- 228-room Royalton Blue Waters Montego Bay
- 140-room Hideaway at Royalton Negril
- 407-room Royalton Negril Resort & Spa
St. Lucia
- 290-room Royalton Saint Lucia Resort & Spa
- 166-room Hideaway at Royalton Saint Lucia
Antigua
- 294-room Royalton Antigua Resort & Spa
Costa Rica
- 294-room Planet Hollywood Beach Resort Costa Rica
Given the growing demand for premium and luxury all-inclusive stays, Marriott International previously announced it would leverage eight of its 30 brands in the all-inclusive category: The Ritz-Carlton, The Luxury Collection, Marriott Hotels, Westin Hotels, W Hotels, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, and Delta Hotels by Marriott. This new agreement with Sunwing Travel Group’s Blue Diamond Resorts adds 19 resorts to Marriott International’s Autograph Collection.
