Marriott International to open 22 AC Hotels worldwide

The first two AC Hotels by Marriott planned for the UK will be part of a wider global expansion of the design-led, lifestyle brand.

Marriott International has announced that it will open a total of 22 AC Hotels during 2016, including ones in Salford Quays, Manchester, and at the Mailbox, Birmingham.

AC Manchester and AC Birmingham are both being rebranded from Ramada. Owned by MCAP Global Finance, they will be managed by Valor Hospitality.

AC Hotels was founded in 1998 in Spain by Antonio Catalán, who joined forces with Marriott in 2011 to operate the brand as a co-venture.

Today the brand has more than 80 hotels in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Denmark, Turkey, France and the United States. Growth plans include more than 50 new hotels within the next three years.

Marriott International, describes AC Hotels as "a new breed of lifestyle hotels created to inspire the next-generation traveller through innovative design".

Tina Edmundson, global officer, luxury and lifestyle brands, Marriott International, said: "Our rapidly growing portfolio of design-led hotels illustrates Marriott International's commitment to making distinctive architecture and design affordable and accessible for creatives and entrepreneurs around the world."

Key design features of AC Hotels include open lobbies, libraries with books selected by guest curators; monochromatic bedroom schemes with hardwood floors; and the AC Kitchen, where the Berkel slicer providing cut meats is a specialty.

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