LONDON— Marriott International is planning to expand two of its brands in the U.K., its executive apartments product and Courtyard by Marriott, reported HVS International. Separately, Cendant plans to expand its Howard Johnson brand throughout the region, including a new apartment-style concept. Though no official timescale has been set, Marriott plans to introduce ExecuStay in Manchester and Glasgow within the next five to seven years, along with the U.K. debut of its five-star Ritz-Carlton hotel chain. However, the company has denied reports in The Business newspaper, which claimed that the introduction of Ritz-Carlton in London, Manchester, and Glasgow was imminent, by stating that finding suitable sites for the brand have been very difficult to find, said HVS. Meanwhile, Cendant Corp. has chosen the UK as the location for the worlds first serviced apartments bearing the Howard Johnson brand. The 68-apartment Howard Johnson Serviced Apartments Bristol is set to open later this month. Cendant wants an aggressive expansion of the concept through franchising or joint ventures, with further apartments set to open in Liverpool, Manchester and Nottingham. The company also announced plans to expand its portfolio of Howard Johnson hotels in the U.K. from the present three to 60 by 2006, with the first property set to be rolled out by the end of 2002. SOURCE: HVS International
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