Marriott to pilot communal living spaces in Element hotels

Marriott is piloting communal living spaces through its mid-market Element brand at its pop-up innovation lab in Los Angeles.

The hotel model will feature a communal room connecting four guest rooms, functioning as a shared kitchen, dining room and lounge area.

The new design for Element, the eco-conscious, extended-stay brand Marriott acquired through its merger with Starwood, is intended to provide a "more collaborative space" for groups to spend time together. The lab will gather real-time feedback from the public on the design.

Toni Stoeckl, Marriott's global brand leader and vice-president, distinctive select brands, said: "Innovation is embedded in Marriott's values. We're driven by creating solutions that elevate, innovate and evolve the guest experience, fuelling guest loyalty and maximising the value of our owners' investments. It's how we stay relevant to guests today and tomorrow, while providing a meaningful competitive advantage to our partners."

At the end of 2016, there were 23 Element hotels open around the world, with 73 in the pipeline globally, 14 of which are expected to open this year in locations including Seoul, South Korea, Seattle and Washington.

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