Double Deckers

• The popularity of the dual brand, extended stay, mixed-use developments continues with Marriott bringing two of its brands under one roof in China’s eastern city of Suzhou.

Strategic hotel pairings like this, also known as double deckers (Marriott has chosen a Ritz Carlton to sit with Marriott Executive Apartments) allows owners to target both transient business and extended-stay guests, with streamlined development and operational costs.

The concept has been widespread – examples include: Cycas opening a dual branded Hyatt House and Hyatt Place property in Paris in 2020, Wyndham launching its La Quinta and Hawthorn Suites extended-stay/dual-brand concept in 2021, and Red Roof, which only launched two years ago, announcing the opening of a dual branded Red Roof Inn and HomeTowne Studios in Kentucky last year.

Marriott opened its first UK dual-branded hotel in 2022, in Slough (a Residence Inn and Moxy hotel), and in Suzhou’s case, Marriott says the dual-branded properties will “cater to the growing guest demand for differentiated experiences”.