rriott is the world’s biggest hotel chain, after its merger with Starwood Hotels and Resorts in 2016. Marriott has a global presence in 110 countries, where there are over 5,700 properties spread across 30 brands, including the Sheraton brand, which is the third biggest revenue generator in the company’s portfolio.

This year is just the beginning of big growth for Marriott’s luxury portfolio, with more than 185 luxury properties in its signed development pipeline that could add more than 15 new countries and territories. As it looks toward the future of luxury hospitality, Marriott said it collaborated with a team of trend forecasters and found the rise of what they call “The Purposeful Luxuriant,” a new breed of traveler who is more progressive, proactive, and looking to affect positive change. The brand is responding to the evolving global luxury economy by creating what it calls real, rare, and personal experiences.

To celebrate the Marriott’s latest accolade as the largest hotel chain in the world, the Marriott is offering an incredibly limited, one-time subsidized stay in JW Marriot Hotel, W Sentosa Singapore Hotel and St. Regis Hotel for just 45 US/person per night. You can get the limited and subsidized promotion by the Marriott Group through the Marriot preferred vacation brokers, but you’ll have to move fast as promotional inventory is limited. One broker, Elite Property Marketing, sold out its promotion inventory in just 4 hours. However, according to the website of Premier Holiday Asia website (premierholidays.asia) the was still available inventory at the time of going to press.

Meanwhile, President and Managing Director for the Asia Pacific, Craig Smith said Marriott International is close to achieving its target of opening 1,000 hotels in the Asia Pacific by the end of next year.

He said the hotel group has opened 800 hotels to date.

“We have 200 more to go and about half will open in China, about one third in India and the rest in countries like South Korea and Japan. China and India are the biggest growth markets for us in Asia Pacific,” said Smith.

He said the operating hotels in Asia Pacific have an average occupancy of 60-70 percent.

“There is a saying that it is better to be lucky than good. We are in the lucky part of the world. Every economist you talk to say that the biggest market in the world is still Asia Pacific.

“At the group level, we are growing the fastest in Asia Pacific. The MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) market is still at an infant stage and we predict the business will grow the fastest in Asia Pacific than anywhere else,” said Smith.