The Spanish company AC Hotels and the American company Marriott International announced a preliminary agreement to form an alliance with the aim of managing a new shared hotel brand, AC by Marriott, which would reach Latin America in the four-star urban sector.This project, which is expected to be signed by the end of this year and launched in 2011, would also integrate the 90 AC hotels in Spain, Italy and Portugal, operating under the franchise modality. The management of the new brand would be in the hands of Antonio Catalán, current president of AC Hotels, with the advice of Marriott Europe.
The agreement will have advantages for customers of both brands: for Marriott guests, a greater offer of urban hotels will be opened in Spain and Latin America, while AC Hotels customers will benefit by adding points from Marriott's loyalty program that will allow them to stay in Marriott hotels around the world.


