Marriott International intends to open 22 new AC Hotels by Marriott in 2016. The lodging giant detailed plans for the "upper moderate tier" lifestyle brand created with the Spain-based AC Hotels in 2011, which currently has 80 properties in its portfolio, mostly in Europe. The chain, which caters to "travelers with a Millennial mindset," is continuing its expansion efforts globally, with a focus on increasing its footprint in the Americas.
Five properties are scheduled to open in January and February: the 152-room AC Boston North in Medford, Mass.; the 130-room AC Cincinnati North/West Chester, Ohio; the 126-room AC Marseille, France; the 188-room AC Guadalajara, Mexico; and the 175-room AC Querétaro, Mexico.
The other properties debuting in 2016 are the AC Asheville, N.C.; AC Atlanta North; AC Boston Cambridge; AC Des Moines Downtown, Iowa; AC Minneapolis; AC Phoenix Tempe; AC San Jose Downtown, Calif.; AC Rio Barra de Tijuca, Brazil; AC Rio Porto Maravilha, Brazil; AC Santiago, Chile; AC Mainz, Germany; AC Herzliya, Israel; AC Santa Fe, Mexico; AC Panama City, Panama; AC Wroclaw, Poland; AC Birmingham England; and AC Manchester England.
"AC Hotels by Marriott is a new breed of lifestyle hotels created to inspire the next-generation traveler through innovative design," noted Tina Edmundson, Marriott's global officer of luxury and lifestyle brands. "Our rapidly growing portfolio of design-led hotels illustrates Marriott International's commitment to making distinctive architecture and design affordable and accessible for creatives and entrepreneurs around the world -- appealing to a large and growing demographic, with a robust development pipeline to match."
AC Hotels offer an AC Lounge featuring drinks and tapas-style small plates, as well as an AC Kitchen, which provides a European-style Continental breakfast and hand-cut European-style meats. Unique meeting spaces are available at each property, and vary in size. Wi-Fi is complimentary.