On December 2, 2019, I drove down to Washington D.C. to visit The Marriott Hotel which is an American based hospitality chain company that ventures internationally as well. I met up with my host, Jen Eady who is the manager of this location.
In prime real estate, blocks away from the Georgetown Waterfront, I was intrigued to see how design met comfort and practicality in such a historical yet futuristic city. The wall color and light fixtures were simple however the artwork and detailed accents were just the opposite. In fact, this location I visited was actually the first Marriott in D.C. and third ever in the world to be built so much of the wall decor and artwork were historical vintage memorabilia. To be more specific, Jen showed me this frame full of the first keys used to unlock doors to the first Marriott hotel. I thought it was a nice touch to personalize the artwork to the location and almost an accomplish to visualize just how long Marriott has been in the business (92 years!!!). Jen acknowledged their design strategy of curating specific artwork for each hotel, explaining how it was aimed at combining pertinent pieces with customer appeal.
Jen was also quick to show me the ‘M Club Lounge’ which is an exclusive benefit of becoming a part of Marriott’s new loyalty program, Bonvoy. The program was marketed through international campaigns where they featured the newly designed, high-end layouts focusing on technology and a seamless customer journey. Just as I saw in D.C., the scheme of each hotel was custom to its location. Jen said partnerships and affiliations were a huge part of this marketing campaign as they co-branded with credit card companies such as Chase and American Express. It was a huge success ultimately because they attached the names on daily routine credit cards to the loyalty of Marriott.
I found this experience very informing as I witnessed how big of a role design played in the branding of Marriott; I am very thankful for Jen and the time she spent with me. Check out the pictures I took on my tour!!
Comments