If you start spotting unfamiliar Marriott signs on older roadside hotels — grey façades, bright yellow bands, and navy accents — you’re seeing the new City Express by Marriott. It’s Marriott’s new mid-scale workhorse: fewer frills, faster check-in, and design meant to reuse as much of the existing building as possible.
So far (4) properties in the brand have spread to North America:
- Duluth, GA: a former La Quinta
- New Orleans: former Wyndham Garden
- Manhattan Beach: former Best Western Plus
- Santa Ana: former Hampton Inn (most recently independent as the “Express Inn” as it transitioned from Hilton to Marriott)
Have you ever seen towels in a chain hotel bathroom that weren’t white before? Just keep using what you have seems to be the City Express motto.
Marriott describes City Express as a “break for the on-the-go guest” — a stopover brand for travelers who want comfort, connectivity, and predictability at a reasonable rate. In some sense it’s another Fairfield Inn, streamlined for lower costs and quick conversions.
- Every conversion gets the same minimalist exterior formula: two shades of grey paint, an 18-inch yellow band, and a navy block framing the new sign. The underlying structure stays untouched—so it’s often the same hotel you drove past before, just repainted and re-signed.
- Expect bright lobies with casual furniture—woven rugs, round ottomans, modular sofas, and a wall panel displaying the Marriott Bonvoy logo. It’s open plan, designed so breakfast, lounging, and laptop work all happen in the same space.
- As with many lower-end chains, breakfast is a brand standard. The buffet counter must be at least 16 feet long with a four-foot-wide coffee station, and each hotel must provide a bean-to-brew self-serve coffee machine available 24/7.
- Every property needs a retail corner with a fridge, freezer, microwave, and self-service shelves. There’s no checkout counter, no POS terminal, and no wine display and no alcohol in the market. Expect grab-and-go snacks and microwave meals, not bar service.
| Included | Restricted |
|---|---|
| Free breakfast | Bars prohibited |
| Free parking | Restaurants only if separated from lobby |
| Pet-friendly rooms | Meeting rooms capped ≤ 1,000 sq ft |
| Fitness center (≥ 350 sq ft) | No business center; printing only at front desk |
| RFID/Bluetooth mobile key | Full kitchens banned; kitchenettes limited to 10% of rooms |
Fitness rooms only have to be 350 square feet and offer three cardio machines and free weights. Hydration stations are optional but “highly recommended.” Bars are forbidden. Business centers are discouraged.
Guest rooms keep a neutral palette of white, grey, and oak, with yellow or orange accents for “optimism.” You’ll find at least a 50-inch TV, a desk with built-in power at both sides of the bed, and a small armchair or ottoman
Microwave and mini-fridge are optional, even though the furniture is designed to accommodate them. Bathrooms vary more. Older tubs can stay in a conversion.
These are “paint-and-signage” conversions. Most owners reuse existing architecture and even many furnishings. Marriott stresses to owners minimal construction changes are needed to become a City Express.
City Express by Marriott is meant to feel new without being new. It’s a guaranteed breakfast, free parking, and points-earning at a lower nightly rate — and Marriott doesn’t generate enough revenue from these stays, so they’re unwilling to provide a full elite night credit per night stayed.
I hadn’t paid much attention to City Express before, but reviewed their documentation for converting existing hotels. Owners get to keep many existing finishes that are still within useful life, with exterior identity achieved largely with two‑tone grays, a 12–18″ yellow band, and asymmetrical navy blocks, plus new signage and entry‑door graphics. Restaurants are not allowed unless physically separated from public space. Full kitchens are not allowed. Any existing kitchenettes (cooktop and dishwasher) are allowed in fewer than 10% of rooms only if already present, and replacing equipment isn’t allowed as they go bad.
Getting only 1 night credit per two nights (or 0.5 per night) means I’ll never stay again. Stayed once, had issues but won’t go into that here. Price is the same as other hotels that give full credit per night, so why bother?
Marriott has these restrictions like no bar because it wants to keep existing Courtyard owners and owners of Four Points happy. Even some Fairfields have a bar. They don’t want suites with kitchens because owners of Towneplaces will be furious.
Let’s be clear. This is pure desperation on the part of Marriott. Income from nicer hotels must really be drying up.
Ah, slapping on a fresh coat of paint. ‘The slumlord special.’ Avoid.
And yes I have seen non-white towels in a hotel. The former LeMeridien in NYC had orange towels.
I am sure Ben wouldn’t be caught dead staying at one. There aren’t any suites available. Heck he wont even review the motel6 in Parker AZ
@controller1 — “non-white”… *weewooweewoo* …oh, he’s talkin’ towels. All clear!
“Now gentlemen, if you care to join me in the parlor, we will be serving hhhhwhite cake…” — Calvin Candie
I understand the inclusions – breakfast and parking as brand standards. But what is the motivation behind the exclusions? Why does Marriott care if they have a bar or restaurant?
Bret is right 100%. Half an elite night. I will never stay there (New City Express), EVER. What kind of garbage is that. Next thing, they will try to make elite nights revenue based, like the airlines like Delta, United, American, …. and half Alaska.
Yawn.
This is simply Marriott copying Hilton with Spark.
Not requiring the mini fridge and microwave is a mistake. USA chain motel customers expect them, and will give lower score reviews for properties that do not include them.
You all are looking at this through one set of eyes. This brand is meant to attract new owners for Marriott properties. It’s a low cost way to own a hotel by converting as opposed to building from the ground up. There’s a niche market for a no frills experience.The brand may not attract corporate travelers with expense accounts, but there’s always a market for folks looking for a clean room and a bed.
@swag – Gary explains the reason for exclusions later in the article.
@swag – see FNT Delta Diamond’s post. It is.spot-on.
I keep thinking of South Park & “City’ Wok.. would work well with this chain.
With.. 32 brands? Does Marriott even have standards??
This was mainly Marriot buying a discount hotel chain in Latin America and seeing if they could copy their formula in the US.
4 in North America? So you’re not counting Mexico as North America then.
It’s like Hiltons Spark – total brand dilution…..
Stayed last month at the City Express outside LAX in Manhattan Beach. It was obvious that is was a former something, wasn’t sure what.
It was clean and looked recently renovated. It was located on a very busy street (Sepulveda) but noise was not really an issue.
I did not like the open catwalks to access the rooms – seemed very old school yesteryear.
Was never told that breakfast was free – I believe I saw a price for the buffet somewhere.
Not bad, but definitely no plans to return.
@Haolenate — “Thank you for choosing Shitty Airrines. We know you have a choice when it comes to airrines and it rooks rike you made the wrong one.”
You gotta give Marriott props for their dedication to degrading their brand. No half measures allowed.
Marriott Exec – Hear me out…. Lets copy OYO, but put the Bonvoy Logo on it instead…..
I’ve stayed at 3 Spark by Hilton in Florida and I am not a fan. They still feel and smell like what they used to be. Not at all the experience I get from other Hilton brands. City Express will not work well for loyal customers of the Marriott brand. All it does is give the former Days Inn owner an ego boost because now he owns a “Marriott” hotel. If a Wyndham franchisee is allowed to run their property to the ground and still charge a premium for roaches in a room do you honestly think that behavior is going to change under Marriott?
@Eric C — Is it really you, mate? You’re right, this ‘coat of paint’ strategy is like “Cocaine” for the investors only; a quick high for them to feel good about an old property. Sounds like it’s not “Wonderful Tonight,” and you’ll be left standing at the “Crossroads” if you book there… Keep rockin’ either way.
Coming soon Rural Rustic by Marriott- converted barn sheds with countryside curiosities (straw bedding).
Working girls now get Bonvoy points too!
There’s a about 10+ of them in Mexico City if that’s considered in North America