Marriott Gets Edgy

The new 220-room AC Hotel in New Orleans is the first of 100 such hotels planned to open by Marriott International in the next few years. Expect to see similar hotels—with an edgy feel—pop up in urban markets like Miami and Washington, D.C. The European brand transplant eschews tradition.

What can travelers expect from the AC Hotel New Orleans? Guestrooms have a minimal design, with hardwood floors and plenty of connectivity. Each floor’s hydration station has carafes for filling with water and each room’s mini-fridge includes chilled glasses.

Marriott’s been making moves to appeal to the traveler looking for a well-designed hotel offering social spaces and up-to-date technology. In addition to introducing AC Hotels in the United States, Marriott’s EDITION hotels are a luxury lifestyle brand with hotelier Ian Schrager, and the budget Moxy brand, in Europe, is part of an IKEA collaboration.

Highlights of AC Hotels include lobbies designed as a social space; sleek, modern, tech-savvy guestrooms; the AC lounge for enjoying cocktails, small plates, evening revelry and a multimedia area; European-inspired breakfast; and the AC Library (North America only) offering complimentary WiFi and a place to meet and share ideas.

Up next is AC Hotel Miami Beach, opening in spring 2015. In Europe, hotels can be found in Spain, Italy, Portugal and France.