⇒ Company SignsFounding Deal with Concept Hospitality Private Limited in India to Affiliate The Fern Brandswith Series by Marriott
India 22 May 2025- Marriott International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAR) today announced the globallaunch of its new collection brand for the midscale and upscale lodging segments—Series by Marriott™—as the company continues to expand its lodging offerings around the world. Series by Marriott is expected to expand Marriott’s global presence by bringing well-established regionally created brands and hotels that champion consistent quality and service into the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio.Series by Marriott will offer guests comfortable stays in more places and provide regional owners access to thebenefits of Marriott’s platforms, including the company’s award-winning Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, all while maintaining their portfolio’s independent identity.
Series by Marriott marks its initial launch through a founding deal with Concept Hospitality Private Limited (CHPL) in India, a key growth market for Marriott.Established in 1996 by ParamKannampilly, CHPL, is one of India’s leading hotel management companies with a portfolio of six brands and over 100 hotels operating in 90 locations.Under the strategic agreement between CHPL and Marriott, CHPL’s flagshipbrands—The Fern, The Fern Residency, and The Fern Habitat—will affiliate with Series by Marriott on an exclusive basis across India and Marriott will make a small equity investment in CHPL.The Fern portfolio iscurrently comprised of 84 open properties and 31 executed pipeline deals, totaling 115 properties and approximately 8,000 rooms. Fern properties are expected to join Marriott’s portfolio in India over time following discussions with the third-party hotel owners and execution of long-term franchise agreements with those owners. CG Hospitality, the hospitality division of the multi-national conglomerate CG Corp Global, is the majority stakeholder in CHPL.
“Series by Marriott furthers Marriott’s commitment to delivering lodging offerings in the right place at the right price with basics done well,” said Anthony Capuano, President and CEO of Marriott International. “Creating a new, regionalcollection brandwill further Marriott’s reachamong value-conscious travelers, provide additional choicefor our existing Marriott Bonvoy members and guests, and offer more affiliation opportunities for local owners.
“We are thrilled to launchSeries by Marriott through our foundingdeal with CHPL. This deal will help meaningfully expand Marriott’s leading position inIndia, a key market for the company. Wesee this multi-unit conversion deal as a strong foundation as we look to accelerate growth of the Series by Marriott collectionin additional markets around the world.The Fern portfolio throughout Indiaishighly regarded and CHPL’s commitment to operational excellence and meeting the needs of regional travelers embodies the spirit of the Series by Marriott brand,” said Capuano.
“India is one of Marriott’s most dynamic and strategic markets, making it the ideal launchpad for Series by Marriott,” said Rajeev Menon, President, Asia Pacific excluding China, Marriott International. “Our founding deal with CHPL allows us to scale purposefully with a trusted local brand that resonates with regional travelers. This collaboration combines CHPL’s deep market knowledge with Marriott’s global platform—broadening access to quality hospitality and unlocking strong growth potential across the country. Launching Series by Marriott in India reflects the region’s critical role in our long-term growth strategy.”
“Through our majority stake in CHPL, we’ve nurtured The Fern brandsas standard-bearers for eco-sensitive, high-quality hospitality in India.Being part of Series by Marriott will allow us to amplify our reach. The Fern brandsare expected to benefit not only from the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program and global distribution systems, but also from strategic growth opportunities,” said Dr. Binod Chaudhary, Chairman of CG Corp Global.
“We are thrilled to partner with the world’s largest hospitality company in driving a new era of growth in India’s midscale segment. Our vision is to unlock the immense potential of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, as well as lesser-known destinations across India that are rich in culture, heritage, and opportunity. This strategic collaboration underscores our commitment to expanding access to quality hospitality, fostering local economies, and meeting the rising demand for sustainable, comfortable, and accessible stays in emerging markets,” said ParamKannampilly, Chairman, Concept Hospitality Private Limited.
A Series of Hotels: Regionally Created, Globally Connected
Series by Marriott is designed to deliver a simple and approachable experience for travelers with a focus on fundamentals and well-executed basics. Hotels in the portfolio will offer quality and value with clean, comfortable rooms, free Wi-Fi, daily coffee or tea, with breakfast, fitness centers and meetings and event spaces available at certain properties. Hotels will reflect the regions and customers they serve while delivering Marriott’s global standards for safety and cleanliness. As part of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, members staying at Series by Marriott propertieswill be able to earn and redeem points and enjoy member benefits.
Global Growth Opportunity for Owners
Series by Marriotthas been created tobringstrong,regionally relevantbrands and hotelsinto the Marriott portfolio with industry leading revenue generation capabilities and affiliation cost structures.Owners will have the ability to maintain their portfolio’s independent identity while leveragingthe power of Marriott’s award-winning Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program with nearly 237 million members globally, and digital platforms like Marriott.com and the Marriott Bonvoy mobile app to generate direct bookings.
In addition to its founding deal with CHPL, Marriott is also in active discussions about the Series by Marriott brand with owners in the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America, Europe, Middle East, and Africa.
To learn more about Series by Marriott click here.
Note on forward-looking statements
All statements in this press release are made as of May 22, 2025. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of federal securities laws, including statements related to Marriott’s expectations regarding the Series by Marriottbrand launch, founding deal and related timing; future growth prospects, opportunities, plans and expectations for the Series by Marriott brand and within certain lodging segments; the addition of Fern hotels to Marriott’s portfolio; the expansion of Marriott’s leading position in India and broadening access to hospitality in the region;the creation of additional reach for Marriott among value-conscious travelers, additional choice for Marriott Bonvoy members and guests, and additional affiliation opportunities for hotel owners; the benefits of affiliation with Series by Marriott; Marriott Bonvoy benefits and participation; Marriott’s revenue generation capabilities; and similar statements concerning possible future events or expectations that are not historical facts. Marriott cautions you that these statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to numerous evolving risks and uncertainties that the company may not be able to accurately predict or assess, including, with respect to the founding deal with CHPL, whether individual hotels and hotel owners agree to enter into Series by Marriottfranchise agreements with Marriott, and the other risk factors that we describe in our U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Any of these factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations we express or imply in this press release.
