Danish hotel operator Core Hospitality is to rebrand 14 of its hotels across Denmark to a new Marriott brand, Four Points Flex by Sheraton.
The established 14 properties have to date operated under the Zleep Hotels banner. Now, they are expected to have been substantially rebranded by the end of 2024. The change of brand effectively means the hotels will shift into the midscale segment.
Generating greater value
“We have been leading the category but needed a new way to unlock new value potential for our hotels,” said Core Hospitality CEO Peter Haaber. “We found the best fit through Four Points Flex by Sheraton, giving us access to immediate brand recognition through affiliation with Marriott Bonvoy and its well-established Four Points by Sheraton brand. This deal moves our hotels into the midscale segment and accelerates the benefits offered to guests. We’re truly delighted to make this historic deal with our trusted partners at Marriott.”
The rebranding of the Danish hotels represents a further evolution of Marriott’s Four Points by Sheraton brand. Originally launched in 1995, it is already represented by hundreds of hotels around the world. Marriott launched Four Points Express by Sheraton in autumn 2023, as an extension of the original brand with a flexible format designed specifically to suit existing hotel owners seeking to convert.
At the time of launch, Marriott said the brand was specifically aimed at hotels in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, where it saw growing demand for a conversion format in the midscale segment. The first hotels to be announced were the 201 room Four Points Express by Sheraton London Euston, UK, plus two hotels in Turkey: Four Points Express by Sheraton Antalya Lara and Four Points Express by Sheraton Bursa Nilufer.
In May 2024, a breakthrough deal was agreed in Japan between Marriott and hotel investor KKR. After KKR completed the acquisition of Japanese hotel group Unizo, it opted to convert 14 hotels to Four Points Express. The conversion agreement meant Marriott added 3,600 rooms to its portfolio in Japan, with new hotels in 10 major cities that are key destinations for those touring the country, including Hakodate, Morioka, Utsunomiya, Yokohama, Kanazawa, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and Hakata.
A relationship with Marriott
Axel Steinbach, Marriott’s development director for the Nordics commented: “Core Hospitality is a valued franchisee and a strategic partner, and we are delighted to strengthen this relationship with the conversion of these 14 properties. We are seeing meaningful growth across the region through conversion projects, reinforcing the confidence our owners and franchisees have in Marriott as they look to reposition assets and maximize returns.”
Core Hospitality has already cemented a working relationship with Marriott. It already operates hotels over other brands from the group including two Moxy hotels in Norway, and Residence Inn and Fairfield properties in the Nordics. And in September 2024, Core announced plans to rebrand a hotel in Esbjerg, where it will switch the A Place To hotel into Element by Westin, with a relaunch in early 2025.
