Recent deal adds four properties (three Marriott branded) in
Mexico and leadership is turning their attention to resort and lifestyle
markets.
MEXICO – Aimbridge Hospitality flexed its muscles and further
delivered on its potential in Mexico when in January it added a four-property
deal there, including three Marriott-branded properties.
“Latin America presents a large opportunity for us because
we stand out among our competitors as being the only established,
institutional, third-party management company, which is critically needed
throughout the region,” Leandro Castillo, LATAM divisional president for
Aimbridge told Hotel Investment Today. “Part of our value proposition is
leveraging our unmatched brand expertise through our brand relationships to
create consistent experiences for guests who want a high standard of service
during their stay and for owners who rely on us for generating strong
performance and bottom-line results.”
Leandro Castillo, Aimbridge Hospitality's divisional president, LATAM
Castillo said Aimbridge is making significant progress
against its goals and projects to meet growth forecasts more quickly than
originally expected. “With more than 70 deals in our pipeline at various
stages, we’re excited by the prospects to grow throughout Latin America in the
next 24 months,” he said.
Among the properties joining the two giants’ system are
Aloft and Sheraton hotels in Guadalajara and a Delta hotel in Puebla. The
properties operating and undergoing conversion will open under the Marriott
International brands in 2024.
To get these latest deals done with unnamed owners,
Aimbridge spent a lot of time intentionally building this relationship,
according to Castillo, making recommendations for how these properties could be
transformed to appeal to the market today and how they could benefit from its
services and brand connections to try to maximize profitability.
New focus on resorts
Moving forward, Aimbridge said the plan is to replicate this
approach with other new owners with brand partners turning to the management
giant to elevate their presence in the region. At the same time, Aimbridge said
owners in this market are recognizing brand association is becoming a powerful
currency more than ever before.
Aimbridge Hospitality is also transitioning focus to resorts, lifestyle and upscale hotels in Latin America.
Castillo said that Mexico presents a lot of opportunity
moving forward with hotels in some markets now surpassing historic levels of
performance. In fact, the MICE industry has recovered to pre-pandemic levels,
boosting Aimbridge business traveler occupancy.
While business travel is a segment Aimbridge had always
served, Castillo said the group is also transitioning focus to resorts,
lifestyle and upscale hotels in Latin America.
To support this move, Aimbridge is also focused on acquiring
new talent and expanding its team to staff and elevate these properties.