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BETHESDA, MD.-Marriott International is in the final stages of establishing the new guestroom concept for its Marriot hotels & Resorts brand, which is the centerpiece of a five-year plan that will focus on refining guests' experiences.
Included in the new room is a bedding package that will feature a freshly laundered, sheeted duvet for each new guest.
"People carry a lot of emotional baggage about sanitation, especially the bed and bathroom," said Mike Jannini, executive v.p., lodging brand management for Marriott International. '"Clean for you' is the new twist."
The new room is expected to be officially unveiled sometime in the first half of the year.
Bill Marriott Jr., chairman and c.e.o. of Marriott International, said the company's goal is to make the MHR brand's rooms more home-like.
"We're giving people what they want," Marriott said. "Now is a good time because business is improving and owners can now afford to spend the money."
The Marriott hotels & Resorts brand is the final piece of the Marriott family to undergo dramatic room changes. The retooling of the odier brands took place over the past year, and the company is putting the finishing touches on the MHR package.
Jannini and Steve Joyce, executive v.p. of owner and franchise services & North American full service development for Marriott International, said the new bedding wont change the way housekeepers approach their work.
"There's no incremental increase for in-house operations, and there is a little cost related if a hotel outsources the laundry," Joyce said.
John Leary, MHRs senior v.p. of domestic design and project management, said suppliers and licensees helped Marriott design the look, which will add about 20 percent to...