Edition, Element Target Younger Clientele Who Want More Than Just a Place to Stay

Two new hotel chains are putting the emphasis on the whole lodging experience—far beyond providing just a place for business travelers to crash for the night.

Edition, which was first announced in June 2007 by Marriott, is still in the planning phases,  but, according to John Wolf, senior director of public relations for the company, Marriott hopes to open the first of the brand in early 2011.

“This brand will reflect these changing lifestyles and cater to a vast underserved market of guests expecting and in turn demanding a unique experience, not merely a place to sleep,” said entrepreneur and hotelier Ian Schrager.

“Marriott has been interested in the boutique venue for some time, and we have forged a partnership with [Schrager} who invented the concept,” says Wolf, who adds that while the Element experience will appeal to all, it will definitely resonate with the younger traveler. So why a new Marriott brand? Says Schrager: “People today are sophisticated, and they understand good design, quality, originality and commitment to excellence. They will not accept something derivative, and they want the ethos and soul of a hotel to be authentic and have character. They also expect and deserve impeccable, modern and gracious personalized service that is at the same time luxurious yet down-to-earth.”

Achieving those goals is no small task, according to Schrager. “It is the ultimate balancing act of these apparent contradictions to create a hotel that is simultaneously specific and customized yet universal. We intend to make this type of lodging widely accessible and available for the first time in the key lodging destinations across the globe and to everybody around the world who wants it.”

Marriott hopes to open more than 100 Element hotels globally, including Washington, Chicago, Madrid and two in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, Starwood’s Element brand is looking to attract a similar customer base—those who want more than a bed and a continential breakfast. While the brand is themed around nature, rooms are a far cry from a campground, and feature Starwood’s signature Heavenly Bed and flat-screen televisions.

“With Westin, we recreated the upper-upscale segment in the hotel industry. Strategically, Element fits into this mold—it is about creating a new category from the ground up,” said Starwood’s CEO Steven J. Heyer. “We know that Starwood’s guests are hungry for a new kind of extended-stay experience, and Element fills this white space in our portfolio perfectly. The name Element really gets at what we are aspiring to—a new approach that will offer guests a brand experience, not just a hotel.”

Element’s Lexington location will accept reservations Aug. 1. The Irving, Texas, location will open Nov. 1.