Soft brands: Are strong pipes enough? | hotelsmag.com

When Marriott International’s Julius Robinson talks about growth of the now five-year-old Autograph Collection, he says members tell him that “it’s all about the pipes.” The vice president of the brand with more than 100 hotels open says he is able to recruit staunch independents and even lure new-build developers simply because of the distribution he can more or less guarantee.