tl;dr – The house of Astor still runs deep.
Marriott just debuted a new luxury (sub) brand, and it’s bound to make St. Regis enthusiasts everywhere happy. St. Regis Estates is an offshoot of the storied St. Regis brand (which came over as part of the SPG merger years ago). You can count me in that number as the St. Regis is known for one of my favorite hotel traditions (get your glass ready!).
St. Regis Estates will focus on “luxury properties with significant history, expansive grounds and extraordinary amenities.”
The brand’s first property, opening in 2027, is The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach.
The resort’s amenities, many of which will receive upgrades in time for its 2027 reintroduction, include a pool, spa, and PGA-coach frequented golf course. The property’s accommodations are said to undergo some redesigns, and there will be a new clubhouse and pool cafe added as well.
When I first learned of this, my mind immediately went to Marriott’s Ritz Carlton Reserve brand, an up-level of one of Marriott’s existing luxury brands that is supposed to be next-level across the board. While there is definitely a lot of promise (and come-through) with the Ritz Reserve catalog, there are some noted misses too (hello, Higashiyama Niseko Village).
The concept of St. Regis Estates, though, invites a bit more excitement, as Marriott will be targeting existing historic properties, many (if not most) of which have been operational high-end hospitality outlets either as independent hotels and resorts, or part of some other luxury portfolio. Thus, there’s hope that with a hyper-focused portfolio and a pre-existing level of service and excellence in place, the best experiences will translate over to the “M”.
