Marriott International is experiencing phenomenal growth right across Asia Pacific as demand for new hotels continues at a record pace. To find out which markets, brands and segments are fuelling that growth, Wayfarer’s James Wilkinson sat down in Singapore with Marriott International Chief Development Officer, Asia Pacific excluding China, Gautam Bhandari.

Gautam, you have been in your current role for over six months and have been closely involved in Marriott’s APEC growth journey long before your appointment as CDO. How have the first six months been and what have been the highlights?

It has been incredibly energizing. Having been closely involved in Marriott International’s Asia Pacific excluding China (APEC) growth journey well before taking on the Chief Development Officer (CDO) role, stepping into this position has felt more like an acceleration of the momentum we’ve been building for years.

The team have hit the ground running, and the results speak for themselves – we’re now at over 760 operating properties across APEC, with more than 160,550 rooms spanning 27 brands across 22 countries, and over 470 properties in our development pipeline.

The highlight for me is the sheer pace of execution. In the first half of 2026 we opened over 30 properties and signed more than 100 deals across 18 brands, building on a record-breaking 2025.

But beyond the numbers, what’s been most rewarding is seeing the strength of our relationship with existing and new owners, and the depth of our local development teams – that’s the foundation everything else is built on.

What are some of the key drivers behind the region’s sustained growth, including expansion across established and emerging markets?

If I had to point to our ‘secret sauce’, it comes down to three things: the strength of our relationships with owners, the breadth of our brand portfolio that lets us flex across markets and investment types, and the calibre of our local development teams. Those are the constants behind our consecutive record-breaking years.

On the market side, strong domestic and intra-APEC demand, infrastructure investment, improving air connectivity, and deep owner confidence in Marriott’s platform, brands, distribution systems, and the Marriott Bonvoy ecosystem are all fuelling growth.

Conversions also continue to support our growth and 60% of deals signed in H2 this year are with existing owners – reflecting owners’ trust to help them scale quickly. Our ability to offer development solutions across every segment, from luxury through midscale, means we can meet demand wherever it’s emerging. Geographic diversification is also one of our greatest strengths in APEC – being present across 22 countries lets us balance opportunities and risks, because different markets are driven by different demand fundamentals.

While our largest volume of growth continues to come from India, Vietnam and Indonesia, we’re equally excited about expanding into other new and emerging destinations.

Tell us about the introduction of new brands across the region and how this has gone.

Introducing new brands to the region has been one of the most exciting parts of the journey. Series by Marriott is a great example of a brand that was designed to bring strong regionally established local hotel brands under Marriott’s umbrella.

Through our landmark founding agreement with Concept Hospitality, Series by Marriott made its global debut in India – with 26 hotels converted in a single day, accelerating brand scale overnight.

We’ve since taken the model to Japan and most recently to the South Pacific, where Series by Marriott made its debut in New Caledonia with the conversion of three Le Domaine du Pacifique resort properties in Noumea.

City Express by Marriott made its APAC debut in Osaka, and we’ve now signed it for India as well. On the lifestyle side, Moxy, AC Hotels and following our recent acquisition, citizenM are attracting growing interest from owners and younger travellers. citizenM is a brand we’re particularly enthusiastic about.

It’s built around tech-savvy, design-led stays all geared toward the modern, value-conscious traveller and as we build out the regional pipeline, the brand’s infrastructure will be tailored to Asian sensibilities – adapting room design, F&B formats, and communal spaces to reflect how guests in this part of the world travel, work, and socialize.

It meets a clear gap in the market, and we see significant opportunities to grow it across the region.

Our collection brands – Luxury Collection, Autograph Collection and Tribute Portfolio continue to resonate with travellers who want distinctive local experiences backed by Marriott’s global platform.

The feedback from owners has been very positive, these collection brands allow us to introduce Marriott to destinations where travel demand is growing but hotel supply remains relatively under penetrated.

You have also entered some new markets. Tell us about that and where Marriott is headed next.

We’ve made some exciting new market entries. In Laos, La Résidence Phou Vao, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa in Luang Prabang, will mark our entry in the country when it opens later this year.

The signing of AC Hotel Ulaanbaatar expected to open 2027 marked our entry into Mongolia and we’ve since signed a 73-room Element Ulaanbaatar also set to open the same year.

In Nepal, we’ve signed to debut The Luxury Collection in 2029, and Westin and JW Marriott in 2031.

We’ve also recently signed a significant new deal in Cambodia for The Ritz-Carlton, Phnom Penh alongside The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Phnom Penh a brand debut for Cambodia when it opens in 2032 as part of a mixed-use development.

We’re also seeing real momentum across Australia, New Zealand and Pacific (ANZP) region.

Le Méridien Lindeman Island Resort and Spa will mark our entry into Queensland’s Whitsundays and St. Regis will make its debut in New Zealand with St. Regis Queenstown in 2027.

Later this year, Australia will welcome its first Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy in Melbourne – a brand designed for longer stays and Fairfield by Marriott, opening in late 2028.

Our strategy is simple, to be where our guests want to go next, continuing to expand our footprint and deepen our presence in high-growth and emerging destinations like Mongolia, Nepal and Sri Lanka, Johor Bahru in Malaysia, and the secondary cities across India and Vietnam.

Which brands are most in demand at present?

Demand is broad-based, which is the beauty of having over 30 brands in our portfolio. Marriott Hotels, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Westin Hotels and Resorts, Courtyard by Marriott and Four Points by Sheraton remain among the strongest across the region.

Luxury also remains a strategic focus with strong momentum for JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton and The Luxury Collection. Meanwhile, Four Points Flex by Sheraton, City Express by Marriott and Series by Marriott represent a significant growth opportunity through conversions.

Overall, growth is increasingly being driven by experience-led travel, wellness, design and authentic destination storytelling – with our breadth of brands, we genuinely have something for everyone at every price point.

How do you see the branded residences segment at present and where is the growth?

We now have more than 20 branded residential projects across APEC, spanning The Ritz-Carlton, W, St. Regis, EDITION and JW Marriott.

Residences are becoming an increasingly important component of mixed-use developments and give owners an additional avenue for value creation.

Recent signings like PEYLAA Phuket, Autograph Collection Residences and Westin Residences Gurugram show demand is extending well beyond traditional luxury gateway markets. Our latest signing for The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Phnom Penh is expected to mark the first branded residences in Cambodia, underscoring just how far this segment is reaching.

For many hotel companies, conversions are fuelling growth. How are you seeing that shift?

We are seeing a structural shift in how hotels come to market. Conversions are no longer just a fast-track growth lever, they’ve become essential in a region where demand for trusted, branded hospitality is outpacing the pace of new construction.

When an owner chooses to convert to one of our brands, they’re putting their faith in our platform, our systems and our teams.

Our role is ensuring that wherever travel demand emerges, and increasingly that’s in emerging destinations, there’s a Marriott property ready to welcome guests.