Earlier this year, Marriott announced details regarding its newest midscale brand, Four Points Express by Sheraton, which is set to become a new brand under the chain’s umbrella.
Marriott is positioning the new midscale brand for the Europe, Middle East, and African regions – the same way its other recent acquisition, City Express, targets the midscale market in Latin America and the Caribbean.
As of December 2023, you’ll be able to earn and redeem points at Four Points by Sheraton properties, and we now know more details about how the brand will participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program.
Marriott’s New Four Points Express by Sheraton Brand
In September 2023, Marriott announced the upcoming launch of its newest brand, Four Points Express by Sheraton.
According to Marriott’s press release, the Four Points Express by Sheraton brand will “offer value conscious consumers a seamless hotel experience in a convenient location, with the principles of reliability, simplicity, and value in both the design and guest experience.”
Marriott positions Four Points Express by Sheraton under what seems to be a priority category for the company: midscale. Recall that Marriott has recently acquired and embedded the midscale City Express brand in Latin America and the Caribbean, and has plans to launch the midscale StudioRes longer-stay brand in the US and Canada.
Based on information provided to prospective hotels, Marriott is gearing the brand towards hotel conversions with minimal renovations, rather than newly built properties. Therefore, we can expect a relatively rapid rollout of the brand, as properties opt in.
Four Points Express by Sheraton properties will be based in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
As it stands, Four Points Express by Sheraton Antalya Lara in Türkiye is already slated to open in late 2023, with 52 rooms.
Other openings in the near future include one location each in London, UK, and Bursa, Türkiye.
The first UK hotel, with 201 rooms, will be centrally located in London, just a stone’s throw away from Euston Station.
On the other hand, the second Four Points Express by Sheraton to open in Türkiye is located along the highway that connects the major cities of Izmir and Istanbul, and it will be called Four Points Express by Sheraton Bursa Nilüfer.
How Will Four Points Express Differ from Four Points by Sheraton?
As the name suggests, the new brand is a “lite” version of Four Points by Sheraton, which is already a “select service” brand in itself.
Therefore, we might expect even fewer bells and whistles with the Four Points Express brand, even though there aren’t too many notable perks at standard Four Points by Sheraton properties to begin with.
Marriott’s communication to potential developers all but reinforces this. For one, Four Points Express is being marketed to rival such brands as Ibis, Motel One, Best Western, Ramada, and Premier Inn – all of which are lower-midscale or budget brands with fewer amenities than a full-service hotel.
Moreover, Four Points Express hotels will offer scaled-down features of a Four Points by Sheraton property, such as:
- Smaller bedrooms, at 14–22 square metres
- Breakfast service, with lunch and dinner being optional
- A fitness centre, but only if it already exists
- An optional boardroom
By comparison, Four Points by Sheraton properties must have a full-service restaurant, a beer joint called Best Brews, and basic meeting facilities, as per brand standards.
Marriott is likewise lowering the barrier for properties to be flagged under the Four Points Express brand, making it easy for owners and developers to convert existing properties with minimal renovations. Therefore, you might observe less consistency across the brand, as opposed to what you may find with Four Points by Sheraton locations.
When it comes to pricing, we might expect Four Points Express by Sheraton to be more economical in cash or Marriott Bonvoy points than Four Points by Sheraton, and other Marriott brands, such as Aloft and Courtyard.
As for participation in the Marriott Bonvoy program, members will accumulate one elite qualifying night per two nights stayed at Four Points Express by Sheraton properties. This is an unfortunate trend that we’re seeing with the rollout of new brands, as it means that you’ll only earn one elite qualifying night on a three-night stay, and none for a one-night stay.
Marriott Bonvoy members will earn 5 points per US dollar spent on qualifying charges, which is in line with other similar brands in the Marriott portfolio.
Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador Elite members can choose a welcome gift of 500 bonus points per stay, or complimentary breakfast for each night of their stay. Of these, breakfast is almost certainly a more valuable choice; however, the quality of the breakfast spread might not be too memorable.
Conclusion
Marriott will soon debut a new brand, Four Points Express by Sheraton, which can be thought of as a “lite” version of the existing Four Points by Sheraton brand. Whereas the recently acquired City Express brand is meant for Latin America, Four Points Express by Sheraton locations will be centred around Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
As a midscale brand, expect smaller rooms and fewer amenities than at Four Points by Sheraton locations. You can also expect Four Points Express by Sheraton to be a more economical option (in cash or points) in the Marriott Bonvoy ecosystem.
For your upcoming trips to Europe, the Middle East, or Africa, keep an eye out for more Four Points Express by Sheraton locations to pop up in the near future.
