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In the ongoing quest for hotels to match the local appeal of home-sharing services like Airbnb, one luxury brand is turning to fashion.
Marriott International has announced a partnership with Rent the Runway, a fashion rental app and retail service, allowing guests at Marriott's W Hotels to choose to have fashionable apparel waiting for them in their room closet when they arrive.
The service, called Closet Concierge, charges a flat rate of $69 for four items, chosen from a selection of dozens.
Closet Concierge is launching on Thursday in four W Hotel locations: Washington, D.C., Miami, Los Angeles and the newly opened hotel in Aspen, Colorado.
The $69 fee and four-outfit limit apply to the duration of a guest's stay regardless of length, with selections made online after booking. Customers are to return their rented items to the hotel's front desk when finished.
“Traveling without luggage has always been my dream," Rent the Runway co-founder and CEO Jennifer Hyman said in a statement. "We are thrilled to partner with W Hotels to bring the RTR Closet Concierge to life, so travelers can simply show up and have their dream closet waiting for them in their hotel room.”
The clothing options available to rent are for day-to-day wear, rather than for specialized activities like swimming at South Beach or skiing in Aspen.
Officially, the partnership is a pilot program between Rent the Runway and Marriott; depending on its success, Closet Concierge could expand to more W Hotels across the country, a representative for the partnership told Bisnow. The pilot will be evaluated no sooner than the end of Q1 in 2020.
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