Marriott targets millennials with tiny, affordable hotel chain

Twitter user, Ilaria Barbotti shares her view of brunch at the Moxy during a visit in October. (Courtesy Ilaria Barbotti/Twitter)
Twitter user, Ilaria Barbotti shares her view of brunch at the Moxy during a visit in October. (Courtesy Ilaria Barbotti/Twitter)
(Courtesy Ilaria Barbotti/Twitter)
(Courtesy Ilaria Barbotti/Twitter)
(Courtesy Ilaria Barbotti/Twitter)
(Courtesy Ilaria Barbotti/Twitter)
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Twitter user, Ilaria Barbotti shares her view of brunch at the Moxy during a visit in October. (Courtesy Ilaria Barbotti/Twitter)

WASHINGTON — Hotel giant Marriott is hoping its new concept for teeny-tiny, trendy hotel rooms proves to budget-conscious millennials that the smaller the room, the bigger the perks.

Marriott, which is based in Bethesda, is rolling out a line of modern microhotels aimed at appealing to millennials – a population prone to swapping expensive, bland hotel rooms for stays at cheaper, cozier Airbnb home rentals.

While the microhotels, which Marriott is calling “Moxy,” are about half the size of the average hotel room, the buildings boast open bars, all-night cafes and a wall-sized Instagram feed in a chic atmosphere. Also, rooms are equipped with free Wi-Fi, sound-reducing walls, high-definition flat-screen TVs and floor-to-ceiling art pieces.

“We tossed out stodgy suits and forever check-in lines and created a stylish atmosphere where self-service means you can do what you want, when you want without holding you up,” the Moxy website reads under a banner of “It’s just like home, but with a bartender.”

The chain is working to open locations in New York, San Francisco and Seattle, The Washington Post reports. A 162-room Moxy in Milan, Italy, opened in September 2014 and others are slated for London, Berlin and Munich as well as other European cities over the next two years.

Most of the rooms are smaller than 200 square feet. A majority of the rooms at the Washington Marriott at Metro Center are 315 square feet, in comparison.

The Moxy promises “unique amenities and friendly price points,” according to a news release. A room in Milan can cost less than $100 a night — a standard room with one queen bed can go for about $75 a night. However, an average room in New York may cost more like $200 a night, The Post reports.

Marriott is focusing on social, tech-savvy, budget-conscious millennials with this chain, hoping that later in life, they turn to the same brand for a reliable travel experience.

“We want to get these guests into the Marriott portfolio early in their lives,” Tina Edmundson, the company’s global officer for luxury and lifestyle brands, told The Wall Street Journal. “And as they go through their lives they can avail themselves to other brands.”

And the hotel chain hopes it mirrors its guest, too.

“Each hotel will be lively, uncompromising and young at heart – just like its target guests,” a Marriott release says.

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Sarah Beth Hensley

Sarah Beth Hensley is the Digital News Director at WTOP. She has worked several different roles since she began with WTOP in 2013 and has contributed to award-winning stories and coverage on the website.

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