Marriott’s Luxury Collection Appears Poised for Global Growth
Marriott’s Luxury Collection of hotels, a portfolio that dates back over a century to 1906 and the founding of the Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi, or Italian Grand Hotel Company, is a global group of hotels and resorts world that that encompasses some of the world’s most historic and storied properties.
At the time of its founding, CIGA owned some of the finest hotels in Italy and later expanded to Austria, Sardinia, and Spain.
The Luxury Collection branding is rather discrete; indeed, until I was more involved in the travel industry, I wasn’t necessarily aware that a particular hotel I was staying at was part of the group. Over the years, however, I’ve stayed at multiple Luxury Collection properties including the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens, the Hotel Bristol in Warsaw, and the Hotel Imperial and Hotel Bristol in Vienna.
Breakfast at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens
Many of the hotels are former palaces or other historic buildings. Guests can expect to receive an exceptional guest experience at Luxury Collection properties, with amenities such as a concierge team with local knowledge and connections that one simply cannot find in a guidebook, and restaurants that befit the brand.
THE LUXURY COLLECTION – A BRIEF HISTORY
The Luxury Collection brand traces its name back to 1992, when ITT Sheraton (Sheraton, which was founded in 1937, was taken over by ITT in 1968) applied the name to 28 of its best hotels and 33 of its Sheraton Towers hotel-within-a-hotel properties. Its flagship was the St. Regis in New York City, a hotel that eventually begat its own brand.
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