Marriott International has purchased the 1,000-room Sheraton Grand Phoenix for $255 million USD, and plans to transform the property into a cutting-edge model for the Sheraton brand.
“The hotel will provide a living and breathing showcase of our new vision for the Sheraton brand, underscoring our commitment to restore the brand to its leadership position,” said Arne Sorenson, president and CEO, Marriott International. “Going back to Sheraton’s roots as being the heart of the community, the renovated hotel will showcase the brand’s new focus on services and design that enable socialization, productivity and personalization, featuring collaborative venues and technology that enable unique experiences. The Sheraton Grand Phoenix will become a wonderful destination for locals and out-of-towners.”
The Sheraton Grand Phoenix
Marriott’s renovation of the 33-storey property’s guestrooms and public spaces is slated to begin in 2019. Opened in 2008, it has 110,000 square feet of indoor (77,000) and outdoor event space, including a 27,000-square-foot ballroom; a business centre; fitness centre; lobby restaurant and bar; and a fourth-floor outdoor pool with a poolside bar.
The property is located in the heart of Phoenix’s downtown, where more than $4 billion USD has been invested over the past six years in office space, retail, restaurants, educational facilities and convention space. It is within walking distance to major sports teams’ venues as well as the Phoenix Convention Center.
Marriott’s Sheraton Transformation
Marriott revealed its comprehensive Sheraton brand transformation strategy earlier this month, creating a pop-up model lobby in New York City for owners, franchisees and other stakeholders to experience and evaluate. It reports that feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and estimates that owners of Sheraton properties in the U.S. have already committed to invest more than $500 million USD to remodel Sheraton properties under the new standards.
While Marriott International remains committed to its asset-light business strategy, the company took a similar approach as it worked to reposition the Marriott Hotels brand five years ago. The company purchased and renovated the Charlotte Marriott City Center, which then served as a living innovation hotel that helped engage owners to experience and develop the Marriott brand. Like the Charlotte property, Marriott expects to sell the Sheraton Grand Phoenix, subject to a long-term management agreement.
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