Marriott is launching its City Express brand in the United States and Canada

Earlier this summer, Marriott hinted at introducing a new budget-friendly hotel brand in the U.S. and Canada called Project Mid-T.

Now, the largest hotel chain in the world has revealed that Project Mid-T is not a completely new brand, but the U.S. and Canada rollout of City Express, a midscale hotel brand with a presence in Latin America and the Caribbean that Marriott unexpectedly acquired in 2023.

City Express by Marriott, as the brand is now known, targets travelers seeking affordable, well-located accommodations and offers developers and hotel owners opportunities for conversions or new constructions that leverage the brand's broad loyalty program.

Noah Silverman, Marriott's global development officer for the U.S. and Canada, stated, "We've been attentive to our owners and franchisees to create a streamlined operating model, and we believe City Express by Marriott will present an attractive value for those seeking to invest in a transient midscale product in the U.S. & Canada."

Currently, there are no City Express by Marriott hotels signed in the U.S. or Canada, but Marriott anticipates finalizing several deals soon and hopes to open locations in the coming months.

For Marriott, the trend is to expand affordable existing brands into new regions and countries.

Last year, Marriott introduced another budget-friendly hotel brand, Four Points Express by Sheraton, focusing on Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and shortly after, expanded it to Japan.

Rajeev Menon, president of Marriott International for the Asia-Pacific region (excluding China), noted that "there's an increasing demand for dependable yet budget-friendly accommodations in the [Asia-Pacific] area," raising questions about the potential expansion of City Express across the Pacific and beyond.