July 2, 2014, saw Marriott International, Inc. announce that the iconic Atlantis, Paradise Island resort will join its Autograph Collection, a rapidly growing exclusive portfolio of over 60 independent hotels in key locations across the globe. The resort includes ‘The Marina at Atlantis’, representing one of the top facilities for large yachts in the popular Caribbean yacht charter location – the Bahamas. It can accommodate luxury yachts measuring up to 73m (240’) in length.
Atlantis Resort and marina in the fabulous Caribbean yacht charter destination - the Bahamas
Regarded as the premier destination resort in The Bahamas and Caribbean, the 3,400 room Atlantis, Paradise Island will operate under a franchise agreement with Marriott and benefit from the company’s global sales and reservations organization, 45-million member Marriott Rewards loyalty program and their website, which generates more than $9.6 billion in gross room bookings annually. Atlantis marks the collection’s first member resort in The Bahamas and will be the largest hotel in the portfolio. The property, owned by Brookfield Asset Management and independently managed, is expected to officially join the Autograph Collection in the fall.
“Having Atlantis, Paradise Island join our Autograph Collection is a milestone achievement for the brand and the company,” said Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International, Inc. “We are excited to partner with Brookfield and put the full power of Marriott behind one of the world’s most spectacular and popular resorts, while adding to our global resort portfolio in a key destination where we know our guests want to travel.”
“This is a significant milestone for us today as Marriott International not only marks its entry into the Bahamas, but also celebrates our 80th hotel in the Caribbean and Latin America’s rapidly growing portfolio,” said Craig Smith, president of the Caribbean and Latin America region for Marriott International. “This is an exciting time for hotel development in the region, where we have over 50 hotels under development and expect to offer more than 150 hotels by 2017 across ten lodging brands in 27 countries and territories”.
“This agreement to partner with the Autograph Collection could arguably be the single most significant tourism stimulus for The Bahamas in this decade. This strategic and beneficial partnership will help grow visitation of Marriott International loyalists to the country and open a broader channel for guests to visit Atlantis from around the world,” said George Markantonis, president and managing director of Brookfield Hospitality and Atlantis, Paradise Island.
Atlantis is a unique, ocean-themed destination offering a variety of guest accommodations; 40 restaurants, bars and lounges to satisfy any palate; the largest and most exciting casino in The Bahamas; extensive meeting facilities; and a superyacht marina capable of handling yachts of any size, all built around a 141-acre waterscape comprised of fresh and saltwater lagoons, pools and habitats. Atlantis rises magically from the turquoise lagoons and blue Atlantic of The Bahamas, and is known worldwide as a resort destination that has truly redefined entertainment and gaming in the tropics.
The addition of Atlantis, Paradise Island is the latest example of Marriott’s aggressive strategy to grow its lifestyle portfolio and inspire many of the world’s premier properties to partner with Autograph Collection. Across all its brands in 2013, Marriott International opened nearly 26,000 new rooms, signed a record 387 projects with 67,000 rooms, and at year end had more than 195,000 rooms under development across five continents. Fueling this success is Marriott’s extensive portfolio of 18 brands, the broadest in the lodging industry. Nearly 25 percent of the company’s overall development pipeline is in the luxury and lifestyle category, with plans to add more than 200 hotels over the next several years reflecting more than $15 billion of investment by owners and franchisees.
Atlantis will operate under a long term franchise agreement and Marriott will provide a $100 million mezzanine loan to the project.
The vision behind the Autograph Collection is to offer an evolving group of passionately independent hotel experiences ranging from a 15-room boutique hunting lodge in the mountains of Colorado to a 19th century neoclassical palace in the majestic city of Prague. Exactly like nothing else, each hotel is thoughtfully chosen for its quality, originality, bold character and capacity to offer today’s modern traveler a range of unique experiences suited to their individual sense of style and adventure. While still relatively new, the distinct portfolio has proven to be a highly successful venture due to its discerning selection process and unique ability to create memories through enriching travel experiences.
Atlantis, Paradise Island will be available on Marriott International’s booking channels this fall.
To celebrate their debut on Instagram, Autograph Collection has launched a summer competition to highlight the best of the season through photography. Entrants are being encouraged to share a photo of their favorite travel essential with hash tag #summerautograph to qualify for the grand prize of a trip for two to New York City’s Carlton Hotel. Additional prizes will also be awarded throughout the summer season.
