BETHESDA, Md. — Following an unprecedented year for the travel industry, Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of brands is slated to debut a number of select-service branded hotels in leisure destinations throughout 2021, including Moxy Miami South Beach and AC Hotel by Marriott Maui Wailea in the United States and, in Mexico, Aloft Tulum, Residence Inn by Marriott Cancun Hotel Zone, and Courtyard by Marriott Mazatlán Sinaloa Mexico.
“With pent-up demand predicted to lead to ‘revenge travel,’ our booking trends indicate an uptick in leisure travel planning after a difficult year,” said Tina Edmundson, global brand and marketing officer of Marriott International. “Leisure destinations continue to be a bright spot in the progress to recovery and has become a priority growth area across all of our distinctive brands, including our popular select-service hotels. These new properties will offer a chance to escape with flexible, open spaces that allow our guests to once again embrace the freedom of travel when they are ready.”
A recently published report by Allied Market Research valued the global leisure travel market size at just over $1 billion in 2019 and projected that the market will reach more than $1.7 billion by 2027. Insights from McKinsey & Company and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) also confirm that “sun and beach” related searches are leading the way for recovery among U.S. travelers.
Leisure trips are expected to outperform business travel through 2021, particularly driven by celebration-centric travel. Many consumers plan to book trips to commemorate postponed life events and milestones such as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and honeymoons.
In addition to traveling for fun, many of those working from home are taking “workcations” to leisure destinations as a reprieve from their everyday routines. To respond to this demand for “bleisure” travel, Marriott Bonvoy recently launched flexible options to work anywhere with its Day Pass, Stay Pass, and Play Pass offering.
Below are two select-service, Marriott-branded properties slated to open this year in the United States:
Moxy Miami South Beach
Slated to open this month, the 202-room Moxy Miami South Beach is the first resort-style property within the Moxy brand portfolio. The eight-story hotel is located steps away from the beach with hotel interiors by Rockwell Group and restaurant and bar interiors by Saladino Design Studio. Six new drinking and dining venues, developed by the founders of Miami’s Coyo Taco and 1-800-LUCKY, include Como Como, a marisquería (seafood restaurant) and raw bar; Mezcalista, a mezcal lounge; Serena, an open-air rooftop restaurant and bar; Los Buenos, a taco stand/bodega in the lobby, complemented by Bar Moxy, which doubles as a social hub and check-in area; and The Upside, a rooftop bar on the eighth floor exclusively for hotel guests and private events. Multiple indoor-outdoor spaces include a ground floor courtyard; a 72-foot, cabana-lined pool; an indoor-outdoor fitness center; an outdoor movie screening room on the rooftop; and a beach club on Miami’s South Beach.
AC Hotel by Marriott Maui Wailea
Slated to open in April 2021 in Hawaii, AC Hotel by Marriott Maui Wailea is a 70,000-square-foot, four-story estate on the island of Maui within the resort community of Wailea. Situated on three acres of Hawaiian gardens, the 110-room hotel has modern guestrooms, a business center, a fitness area, and an infinity-edge pool with a poolside tiki bar and cabanas. AC Hotel by Marriott Maui Wailea will offer rooms with views of the Pacific Ocean; neighbor islands Lanaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, and Molokini, and Mount Haleakala; with private lanai to enable guests to recharge and focus on what matters most during their travels.
The hotel will have a lobby with sleek furnishings and indoor-outdoor lounge spaces. AC Hotel by Marriott Maui Wailea is located at the corner of Wailea Ike Place and Wailea Ike Drive adjacent to the Wailea Tennis Club. It is within walking distance to Wailea, Ulua, Mōkapu, and Keawakapu beaches; and retail centers Wailea Village, Wailea Gateway, and The Shops at Wailea offering 100 shops and galleries combined. Other nearby experiences include more than 40 restaurants and bars, spas, and Wailea Golf’s three championship courses.
