Marriott International Expands Footprint in Japan in 2020

TOKYO, Dec. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Marriott International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAR) today announced the expansion of its footprint in Japan with the debut of six of its hotel brands in the country in 2020. Newly introduced brands include AC Hotels by Marriott, Aloft Hotels, EDITION, JW Marriott, Fairfield by Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Reserve. With these additions and other openings during the year, the company will end 2020 with a total of 63 open properties in Japan represented across 18 brands.

"With its beautiful contrasts between modernity and traditions, future-forward cities and breathtaking rural landscapes, Japan has always been an important market to Marriott International as a preferred destination for travelers," said Rajeev Menon, President, Marriott International Asia-Pacific (excluding Greater China). "Our expanded portfolio with highly distinctive brands provides travelers in Japan with more choice to meet their needs and interests across a wide range of segments."

From Neon City Lights to Powder Snow Skiing, Marriott International's Luxury Brands Invite Travelers to Rediscover the Beauty of Japan

EDITION, the brand envisioned by Ian Schrager and Marriott International, premiered its first of two planned hotels in Japan, The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon, on October 20th. The new luxury lifestyle hotel represents a very delicate balancing act between the refined, elegant, simple and pure approach of Japan's culture, style and traditions and EDITION's passion, emotion, sophistication, perpetual subversion of the status quo and desire to break rules to create something entirely new and that has never been seen before. JW Marriott Hotel Nara, Marriott International's 800^th hotel in Asia Pacific, is the first international luxury hotel in the beautiful city of Nara, famous for its iconic free-roaming deer and UNESCO World Heritage temples and shrines. The Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve,  welcomes guests for the 2020-2021 winter season in Niseko, Japan's premier ski destination, offering a getaway for travelers seeking to explore the area's 2,190 acres of skiable terrain. Currently, there are 41 hotels in Marriott's Luxury and Premium tiers in Japan.

Select-Service Brands Continue to Offer Access to New and Upcoming Destinations Across Japan

The new AC Hotel Tokyo Ginza, which opened in July, brings the brand's passion for timeless and purposeful design to the heart of Tokyo's upscale shopping, culinary and fashion district. The recently opened Aloft Tokyo Ginza, Marriott's brand for music enthusiasts and tech-savvy travelers, showcases an eclectic mix of neon colors, graffiti and original art inspired by the capital's iconic street culture.

Aimed at revitalizing local sightseeing spots, the Fairfield by Marriott "Michi-no-eki" project galvanized a major expansion of the Fairfield brand in Japan, with eight new hotels now open alongside Japan's national highway rest areas. The hotels will be convenient bases from which travelers can explore Japan's local beauty and will provide extensive access to previously under-explored areas of the country. In collaboration with renowned Japanese developer Sekisui House, Marriott is slated to open 18 additional Fairfield hotels as part of the initiative.

"This year has been challenging without a doubt," said Karl Hudson, Area Vice President, Japan and Guam, Marriott International. "But despite travel uncertainties and challenges, we have debuted several new brands in Japan this year. We remain confident in the future of travel in Japan and are ready to welcome travelers to explore and discover this beautiful country."

Marriott International's footprint in Japan is expected to further expand in the coming years with more than 30 hotels in the development pipeline. These exciting developments include the much-anticipated debut of The Bulgari Tokyo and additional Fairfield by Marriott Michi-no-eki hotels across Japan.

Note on forward-looking statements: This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws, including expected project openings and brand debuts, demand trends for certain product types and in certain markets, our development pipline, and similar statements concerning possible future events and expectations that are not historical facts. We caution you that these statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to numerous evolving risks and uncertainties that we may not be able to accurately predict or assess, including those we identify below and other risk factors that we identify in our U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Risks that could affect forward-looking statements in this press release include the duration and scope of COVID-19, including the location and extent of resurgences of the virus and the availability of effective treatments or vaccines; its short and longer-term impact on the demand for travel, transient and group business and levels of consumer confidence; actions governments, businesses and individuals have taken or may take in response to the pandemic, including limiting or banning travel and/or in-person gatherings or imposing occupancy or other restrictions on lodging or other facilities; the impact of the pandemic and actions taken in response to the pandemic on global and regional economies, travel, and economic activity, including the duration and magnitude of COVID-19's impact on unemployment rates and consumer discretionary spending; the ability of our owners and franchisees to successfully navigate the impacts of COVID-19; the pace of recovery when the pandemic subsides or effective treatments or vaccines become available; general economic uncertainty in key global markets and a worsening of global economic conditions or low levels of economic growth; the effects of steps we and our property owners and franchisees take to reduce operating costs and/or enhance certain health and cleanliness protocols at our hotels; the impacts of our employee furloughs and reduced work week schedules implemented during portions of 2020, our voluntary transition program and our other restructuring activities; competitive conditions in the lodging industry; relationships with clients and property owners; and the availability of capital to finance hotel growth and refurbishment. Any of these factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations we express or imply in this press release. We make these forward-looking statements as of the date of this press release, and undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Marriott International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of more than 7,500 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 132 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy™, its highly-awarded travel program. For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on Twitter and Instagram.

SOURCE Marriott International