Marriott International has unveiled expansion plans in Poland and announced the prospective addition of more than 10 hotels in the next few years. These additions will include the launch of two brands in the country—Le Meridien and Element Hotels by Westin—adding more than 1,200 rooms to Marriott’s global portfolio.
With an existing portfolio of 24 properties totaling more than 4,500 rooms under 12 brands across eight cities, these upcoming openings will help widen the hospitality giant’s footprint in Poland. Currently, Marriott has hotels in Warsaw, Sopot, Krakow, Poznan, Katowice, Wroclaw, Gdynia and Szczecin.
The expansion strategy is part of Marriott’s development of its luxury, premium and select-service collection in key leisure and business destinations in the Eastern European region.
“Marriott International remains focused on growing and diversifying its brand portfolio and experiences in Poland to meet the strong demand for travel throughout the country. With our captivating portfolio of brands, world-class distribution platform and Marriott Bonvoy, our award-wining travel program, we continue to drive robust growth opportunities with owners and franchisees in the market,” said Jerome Briet, chief development officer, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International.
There is reason for Marriott’s, and its peers’, push into Poland. The country’s GDP growth was one of the highest among the 28 European Union countries prior to COVID. Despite the challenges, Poland’s economy was on an upward journey in 2022, though, like everywhere, suffered some from inflation and tougher financing conditions, according to the Horwath HTL’s September 2023 report on Poland’s hotel market.
The country’s hotel market in 2023 stayed positive overall in 2023, the report added. Domestic tourism has also been picking up pace and driving growth for the country’s hotel market. While the number of overnight stays in hotels slipped 50% in 2020 from 44.8 million to 23 million, it improved 103% in 2022. Riding on this increasing demand for hotel stays, domestic and international hotel chains are diversifying their offerings across the country and intensifying their developments. While domestic brands PHH and Dobry Hotel nearly doubled their portfolio in the past three years, international chains have also been adding more hotels to their Polish portfolio.
Beyond Marriott, Hilton announced in 2023 that it had signed a franchise agreement with TFG Hotels to debut its Canopy by Hilton brand in Poland. Scheduled to open in 2025, the new-build, 170-key Canopy by Hilton Warsaw will be located close to the Palace of Culture and Science and Warsaw Central Station. The hotel will be managed by TFG Hotels.
In November 2023, Accor and Allenort Group signed an agreement to open a Mövenpick-branded hotel by the sea, in Gdynia. Scheduled to open in 2026, Mövenpick Hotel Gdynia will offer 176 rooms, two dining venues, a bar and a spa and pool.
A significant portion of Marriott’s growth in Poland is driven by conversion opportunities. More than half of the group’s development pipeline in the country includes conversion and adaptive reuse projects, Briet said.
PREMIUM
With its premium brands continuing to register robust growth in Poland, Marriott will be introducing Le Meridien’s European heritage and signature programming to the country with the opening of Le Méridien Krakow Royal in 2025.
Marriott’s Collection brands will be opening new locations, including the upcoming openings of a Tribute Portfolio hotel in Warsaw and an Autograph Collection hotel in Wroclaw. Renaissance will be adding its second property in the country, with an anticipated opening in Gdansk Old City.
SELECT SERVICE
Marriott’s growth in the Polish market is primarily driven by its select service brands. Element by Westin Wroclaw, which is scheduled to open this spring, will mark the debut of the brand in Poland and meet the demand for extended-stay accommodation.
Building on its existing portfolio, Four Points by Sheraton will open hotels in Poznan and Wroclaw in 2025.
Moxy Hotels, which has already established its presence in the market, will open its fifth hotel in 2025 in central Warsaw.
LUXURY
Marriott is also planning to grow its luxury offerings in the country and will be opening its second Luxury Collection hotel, H15 Luxury Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, within the Lubomirski Palace in Krakow.