Designed to Sell

Marriott reveals a new vision for ownership concepts with saleable style and multigenerational appeal.

By Mary Scoviak -- HOTELS Magazine, 3/1/2007

Stainless-steel appliances soon will be standard for all Ritz-Carlton Club projects. They will anchor not just a "kitchen" but "a workspace environment" large enough for two or three people to work in without feeling cramped. Even existing entertainment packages and furnishings have wish-list appeal. Features like these signal the new paradigm of aspirational design for ownership concepts that is making US$300,000 for a one-twelfth interest in the Ritz-Carlton Club being built in Kapalua, Maui, or US$200,000 to US$300,000 for a one-twelfth share of the Ritz-Carlton Clubs underway in San Francisco and Miami's South Beach a value-for-money alternative to buying a second home.

Layouts reflect changing demographics as much as changing tastes. Units are not only big, but they are "living" bigger thanks to architecture and design elements that extend the interior spaces outdoors- like transitioning the same floor covering from the interior to the outside at a Ritz- Carlton project under construction on Florida's Marco Island.

Designers are playing up the spaciousness by decluttering the design. "Years ago, you had to have a wide screen television. That took up a lot of room. It had to be housed in a large piece of furniture. Now, you can have a wall-mounted panel that does not add to the footprint. There is more usable living space," says Ed Kinney, vice president of corporate affairs, Marriott Vacation Club International, Orlando. The mandate is equally true for "moderate" concepts such the Horizons by Marriott timeshare product. Instead of allocating a large part of the kitchen/ dining area to a table with eight chairs, the designers opted for cozy booths.

A freer floorplan is making room for a larger entertainment component, relaxation areas with loungers, more private spaces (essential for extended families or friends staying together for three weeks at a time), his and hers bathrooms and a water closet secluded in its own alcove. A dedicated office is something buyers will not find. Wi-Fi is everywhere, Kinney points out. So, there is no need to waste space on a "computer room" when multi-generational travelers are looking for more living room.

Style, like design elements, varies from property to property for Ritz- Carlton's Clubs. The trend now centers on "adopting a regional archetype to highlight the flavors of the area." That can mean choosing the buff-colored marble floors with black accents interior designer DiLeonardo International, Warwick, Rhode Island, is using for the Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences in South Beach or the traditional warm woods Honolulu architect WCIT Architecture is incorporating into the Kapalua Bay project. Silver leaffinished chandeliers work in the "Miami modern" context of South Beach; serene nature shades and rich natural materials are more at home in Maui. For San Francisco, the mood is urban chic: brick, stone and understated polish.

Customization is equally influential in Marriott Vacation Club International's new timeshare developments such as the 220-villa Marriott Frenchman's Cove, St. Thomas. Far from bland or basic, this U.S. Virgin Islands waterfront resort borrows from the area's diverse European heritage and its strong Danish colonial influences. It surrounds guests with a relaxed yet elegant plantation style.

The challenge lies in finding the right balance between style that sells and style that lasts. "I recently stayed in a property that had the bathtub at the end of the bed. It was really interesting, but the market that appreciates that kind of design is too narrow as a customer base for us. We want design that caters to aspirational lifestyle goals rather just a novelty, boutique look," Kinney says.