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Marriott added a good number of hotels to its Autograph Collection in 2015 and it appears as if it’s starting 2016 in the same vein. Four new properties have been brought under Marriott’s Autograph Collection umbrella – a brand created to give Marriott’s portfolio more unique/boutique hotels.
The four new hotels are in the US, Canada and South Korea and area all very different.
Marriott’s New Autograph Collection Properties
- Annapolis Waterfront Hotel – Maryland, USA
- The Camby – Phoenix, Arizona, USA
- The Hotel Saskatchewan – Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
- The Plaza – Seoul, South Korea
Of the four new additions to the Autograph collection the one that looks the most interesting is the Plaza Seoul. The Tripadvisor ratings look very good indeed and, with a great central location, could turn out to be a very nice option for those looking for something different and more affordable than the two JW Marriotts and the Ritz-Carlton already in the city.
I thought that the Annapolis Waterfront Hotel looked interesting until I discovered that it’s not actually new to the Marriott portfolio. Before being brought under the Autograph Collection umbrella the property was the Annapolis Marriott Waterfront before a recent renovation so it’s probably already well known to Marriott loyalists.
The Tripadvisor reviews look good….
…and the location overlooking Annapolis Harbor together with its 8,600 sqft outdoor patio are already big hits.
The Hotel Saskatchewan is a bit of an unknown quantity to me. I have no idea how important or attractive Regina, Saskatchewan is so it’s hard to judge how good it is to have another Marriott option in the area. Up until the recent incorporation of Delta hotels into the Marriott portfolio Marriott only had a Residence Inn in the city so the addition of this “four diamond hotel” could be seen as a boon.
Once again the Tripadvisor reviews appear favourable….
…and it’s history dating back to 1927 which includes visits from the Queen of England, the Duke and Duchess of Kent and the Rolling Stones (Rock royalty) definitely help the property stand out.
Renovations at the hotel are still ongoing with the guest rooms expected to be completed by the end of March 2016.
Of the four new Autograph Collection hotels the least enticing, to me, is the Camby Hotel in Phoenix which was, until recently a Ritz-Carlton. The property closed in July 2015 and only just reopened as an Autograph Collection hotel.
Described in Marriott’s press release as being inspired by “Arizona’s Five C’s – cotton, cattle, citrus, climate and copper” (who wants a hotel inspired by cattle?!) the 277-room property is located in the centre of Phoenix’s business and entertainment district.
King guest room at the Camby – image courtesy of Marriott
The property is brand new so there’s no real point in placing any weight on the 4 reviews that have so far appeared on Tripadvisor but, based on how they differ, it will be interesting to see how this property progresses.
Bottom Line
As a Marriott elite I’m always happy to have more hotels to choose from…although in this case it’s really only 2 new hotels as the other 2 were already under the Marriott umbrella in different guises. The stand out property appears to the the Plaza in Seoul (a city I really want to visit) and at 35,000 Marriott Rewards Points per night looks like it may be a good value option for a future trip.
As for the others….well, the Annapolis Waterfront looks like it would be nice for a visit (when the weather is nice) but the descriptions of the other two and their locations don’t really do it for me so I probably won’t be visiting any time soon. Does anyone have any more info on these properties? Am I being too hasty in dismissing them?
Featured Image: The Plaza Seoul courtesy of Marriott
