Marriott to take over Old City hotel

Marriott International Inc. is set to take over one of Philadelphia's hotels, which will undergo a rebranding this year.

The 150-room Omni Hotel at Independence Park on 4th and Chestnut streets, located a short walk from the Liberty Bell and the National Constitution Center, is set to become a Marriott product when it transitions into The Franklin Hotel at Independence Park.

The Omni in Philadelphia will be transitioning under a new moniker.

The European-style Old City hotel is set to begin the transition on Nov. 24, five days later than it previously announced on its website.

The announcement, however, did not include details on new management and ownership.

But the upcoming Franklin Hotel moniker is listed among the names on Marriott's 70-plus list of products in the Philadelphia market.

"With amazing views of Independence Park, a great location near Society Hill, and in the heart of Philadelphia’s historic Old City district, The Franklin Hotel at Independence Park is modern luxury at its best," Marriott said on its website.

General Manager A.J. Williams could not speak about plans for the hotel, alhough he did say it would be a franchisee of Marriott.

A Marriott spokeswoman said questions about future plans are "unanswerable ... until the transaction is final." Calls to Valley Forge Management Co., the hotel's current owner, were not immediately returned.

Marriott International Inc. announced on Monday it would acquire Starwood Hotel & Resorts Worldwide Inc. in a deal valued at roughly $12.2 billion. Along with more than 70 Marriott products, there are over 20 Starwood properties in Philadelphia, including the Le Meridien near City Hall and the Sheraton Valley Forge Hotel.

The acquisition means Marriot would operate or franchise more than 5,500 hotels with 1.1 million rooms around the world, The Franklin Hotel included. More than 370,000 rooms are in the development pipeline, Marriott said.

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal