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Marriott plans to double its Latin American presence in four years
Company's president for Latin America predicts strong growth for the region.
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JW Marriott Mexico City
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Marriott is bullish on growth in Latin America, says Craig Smith, who became the hotel giant's first president for Latin America last December. When the company created the role, it also separated the region out - before, Marriott's corporate structure had Latin America sharing a category with the Southeastern United States.
"That the CEO felt strong enough about the region to place a president here is a very strong statement," says Smith, who is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, and has worked and lived throughout the region. Increased tourist infrastructure, strong economies and a growing middle class are changing travel in the region, he adds.
"In the past 10 years, Marriott has more than doubled its presence in Latin America, growing from 35 to 76 hotels in the region," Smith says. "In the next four years, we plan to double that number again."
According to Latin Business Chronicle's Latin Hotel Index, Marriott ranks fourth on the list of hotels with the largest number of rooms (18,000 in 2012) in the region, after IHG (58,503), Accor (35,330) and Sol Meliá (25,433).
Focus on Mexico and Brazil
Marriott is particularly targeting growth in Mexico and Brazil. "This is the MeMo (Mexico Moment)," Smith says. "Mexico has all the right indicators for growth: liquidity, strong tourist infrastructure, a rising middle class that increasingly wants to see their country and a rebounding industrial base." Smith adds that as the U.S. economy rebounds, U.S. business and leisure travelers will also return to the country.
Following Mexico, Smith sees strong potential in South American giant Brazil. "The economy isn't growing as much as two years ago - but it is still growing," he says. "And due to Brazil's sheer size
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JW Marriott Bogota
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and good average rates, it continues to be a strong growth market." However, Smith doesn't see the country's two planned mega-events - the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro - as having a lasting effect on the country's hotel industry. "People come to the events, and then they go home. But the infrastructure built around the events - the new freeways, airports, trains - help the hotel industry a lot," he notes.
"There's no reason we shouldn't have 100 hotels in Mexico or 50 in Brazil. We have 20 hotels in the city of Shanghai alone, and 60 in Atlanta. Why shouldn't we have 10 or 15 in Mexico City or São Paulo as well?"
Beyond these two traditional Latin America giants, the Marriott president is bullish about Chile, Colombia and Peru. However, he says there is currently a bit of oversupply in Central America.
Changing Marriott Service
To cater to growing numbers of tourists within the region, Smith says, Marriott plans changes in on-the-ground customer service. Front desk staff, for instance, will need to speak at least two - if not three - languages. All hotels will make both their websites and print materials available in Spanish, Portuguese and English.
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News from our Partners
(Click the headlines to read full stories)
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 Frequent Traveler: Gerardo S. Murray
A Mexico City- and Miami-based hotel executive craves great Peruvian food and likes collecting cookbooks from different countries.
Gerardo S. Murray is the InterContinental Hotel Group's Vice President for Marketing and Strategic Services for Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean. He spends plenty of time traveling in the region - naturally staying at the company's hotels, which include InterContinental, Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza.
You have a fondness for both Peruvian and Mexican food. Are there some exceptional restaurants that excel in these culinary traditions?
Actually, I am relatively easy to please when it comes to restaurants. I am attracted to a nice ambiance, a great wine selection and fabulous food much more so than I am by a brand. There are two places that have truly captivated me.
La Rosa Náutica, located in Lima, Perú, offers one of the best dining experiences anywhere. I am a Peruvian food lover, so this is definitely one of the restaurants throughout my travels that has captured my heart.
In Mexico City, El Pujol is a "Mexican fusion" cuisine experience that's unique. Their open kitchen, superb service and the fascinating combination of pre-Hispanic and old fashioned Mexican dishes makes this an excellent dining option. It also has a great Wine cellar. A bit pricey but a great experience.
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El Pujol
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Does your love of food influence what you bring home from your travels?
I like to bring an item that's representative of the location, but my tastes vary greatly. I've brought back articles of clothing, coffee table books, photography and cookbooks. If I give a cookbook to a friend, sooner or later I need to borrow it because I love to cook!
Frequent travelers usually hate spending time in airports. What about you?
There is one exception to that rule, and for me it's my current favorite airport in Latin America -Bogotá. They did an outstanding job with the recent renovation and the place looks fantastic. The people are friendly, the shopping options are very good and El Dorado also has several interesting, high-quality dining options.
Can you share some personal tips for taking a break from business and doing a bit of exploring?
One of the most exciting parts of travel is learning about must-see places. I always contact the concierge at the hotel and secure the services of a driver that is truly in-the-know about out-of-the-way places not visited by the average tourist. Between the concierges and a driver that really understands their city, you have the best opportunity to secure great suggestions and appreciate the local flavors.
I assume you favor your own IHG properties over other brands when you travel, correct?
Naturally, but there are specific reasons why. For me, it's a combination of location, facilities and amenities. I am always made to feel special, and they make my business trip a complete, hassle-free delight.
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Travel News
New Airline Routes and Route Changes
Avianca will add three additional round-trips between Bogota and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, beginning October 13. That will bring the airline's total round-trips on the route to 10 weekly.
 Volaris will launch non-stop service between Guadalajara, Mexico and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona (U.S.) on October 19. The low-cost Mexico City-based airline will operate the route three days a week.
Volaris will also begin twice-weekly service between the Mexican cities of Tijuana and Chihuahua on October 15. And, it starts twice-weekly service between Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez on October 18.
 Canadian airline WestJet will begin flying non-stop between Calgary, Alberta, Canada and Miami (Florida, U.S.) on October 28. The route will run four times a week through December 14, and will then add Tuesday and Wednesday service through April 26, 2014.
LAN Airlines will end all service between Lima and San Francisco (California, U.S.) after March 30.
U.S-based airline JetBlue received government approval to install in-flight Wi-Fi on its planes. It expects to begin installations this year and finish wiring all of its A320 fleet before the end of next year. Wi-Fi in its Embraer 190 jets will come later.
Sunrise Airways, a startup based in Port-au-Prince, became the first Haitian airline to earn membership in the Flight Safety Foundation, an international non-profit with more than 1,000 member airlines.
Hertz Rent-a-Car introduced its budget car rental brand, Firefly Car Rental, in several U.S. cities and hopes to be in 20 U.S. cities by the end of the year. The brand has weekend rental rates as low as US$9.99 per day.
 By the end of this year, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration will expand its TSA PreCheck expedited screening program to 60 new U.S. airports (it already operates in 40 airports). Participants in the program have access to select airport security screening lines and, when they go through security, can keep their laptop in its case, leave liquids and gels packed and wear their shoes, light outerwear and belt.
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