Well I have to admit – I did not see this one coming!

The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas – finally scheduled to open in December of this year is going to be run under Marriott's Autograph Collection brand – with increased promotion on Ritz-Carlton's website as well.

One of the 2 towers that make up the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas

It's been a very interesting journey for the Cosmopolitan – starting back in 2005 with the announcement that it would be managed by Hyatt Hotels, then after the original foreclosure and take over by Deutsche Bank, it was heavily rumored to be turned into a W Hotel.

Then after Ross Klein left Starwood to join Hilton Hotels – it was an open secret that the Cosmopolitan would end up being one of the first Denizen hotels, and well – we all know where that went.

It's a huge win for Marriott, a big loss for Hilton – who was originally hoping to come into the marketplace swinging with the Cosmopolitan as a Flagship Denizen property, and Starwood still doesn't have a presence in Vegas for its W Hotel brand, a location which would be perfect for the W.

This is a huge step for Marriott because it gives them a huge appearance front and center on the Vegas Strip – up until now Marriott had no boutique or architecturally significant properties in Vegas. It's also going to assure that the property will be managed by an experienced group and will be frequented by many people who are just looking for a place to utilize their Marriott Rewards points.

I'm really curious to see how the Ritz-Carlton tie in will appear, I have a feeling that one of the two towers may be catered toward Ritz-Carlton guests, be a bit more high end, but we'll see how that ends up playing out as time goes on.

andrew@alconic-inc.com

Andrew Calvo is a Commercial Real Estate Advisor in New Jersey. I live in Tinton Falls, NJ. This blog is about my passions - primarily hotels, commercial real estate, and development, etc.

Since I have been in High School I've had numerous jobs, but the field which has always interested me is Real Estate, Hotel Development and Construction. I consider myself a zealot in that area - I try to absorb as much as I possibly can, take the experiences that I learn, or read about and use them in my life. 

www.passionsofazealot.com