What happens when a cheap furniture store, Ikea, teams up with the some-what budget hotel, Marriott?
The answer is Moxy.
USA Today, reports that "the first hotel will be opened in Milan and rates will start at around 60 euros, which today means about $75. And yes, that will include Wi-Fi both in the lobby and your room."
The new combined company promises to be aggressive with the number of locations-150 in 10 years, all in Europe.
This comes due to the assumption that they can draw interest from consumers and developers with its loyalty program, large reservations system and an unusually hip concept, centered towards the younger crowd.
We think Europe is ready for this product," said Ramesh Jackson, Marriott International's Frankfurt-based executive who oversees the Moxy brand. One reason is that budget rooms represent 45% of all rooms in Europe, but only 20% of them are affiliated with a chain, he added, according to USA Today.
Though the idea didn't begin at Marriott's headquarters in Bethesda, Md., instead, in Norway, at hotel developer Nordic Hospitality, Jackson claims he has been working on the theory for two years.
"We presented it to Marriott," he says, and Ikea-unit InterHospitality got involved. "The three parts met and established Moxy," he said, reported USA Today.
The retail side of Ikea is not involved with the hotel or its decor, though it will have a distinct Scandinavian design and flavor.
A few of the Ikea-inspired concepts include tiny rooks with less furniture and Jackson wants people to expect self service--that's what the target audience is requesting. "They thrive on it," Jackson said to USA Today.
Adding, "they don't want people to wait on them."
Jackson compares Moxy to a Mercedes Benz "C class, due to it costing less than the other Mercedes models but still standing for quality and luxury.
"It's smaller and more simplified, but you still know you're getting quality from a luxury car producer," he said, noting that Moxy guests will sleep on standard Marriott mattresses. "We're thinking that Moxy is a three-star concept, but you would definitely feel the Marriott's quality in all aspects," according to USA Today.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
