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Whereas advantageous in a buoyant economy, during a downturn, the backing from the diverse customer base of a big brand might be a savior. Most independent hotels in strong market positions spurn offers to join a larger group. In 2018, there were about 475,000 independent hotels, and only around 55,000 in the soft category, but the number is expected to grow as soft branding becomes more mainstream. Historically, hotels were branded or independent, now the expanding soft brand category falls in the middle. In 1990, two-thirds of all hotels were independent, but today, less than 40 percent are independently owned and operated. Financing for the latter projects could be more readily available to the owner, because lenders regard projects affiliated with a large hotel chain as less risky. Over time, the growth emphasis shifted from adding existing properties to proposals and new builds that incorporated the desired features. In addition to displaying hotels by location, guests could search the website by specifying unique preferences, such as culinary, historic exploration, arts, family, sports and urban. The experience itself, and service, replaced the traditional definitions of luxury, such as the number of bathroom fixtures and thread count of the bed sheets and drapes. The collection sought hotels that possessed an element of authentic local flavor and cultural distinction to provide guests with an enriching stay. The selection included historical landmark buildings rejuvenated into the 21st century, but offering a hotel experience far different from a normal “cookie-cutter” property. Not displaying the Marriott branding or Marriott booking engine on the Autograph website, not only emphasized the unique experiences of these independent hotels, but also shielded the hospitality giant's various brands from fallout should the venture fail. The Leading Hotels of the World, targeting high-end customers looking for unique hotel experiences, had long dominated this market. The new name highlighted not a brand, but a collection of hotels. This freedom may seem unfair to branded properties, sometimes subject to intransigent brand standards or extra fees, but the difference is that these independents bear the cost of creating their own brand identities from scratch. The Autograph Collection launched that year, with the Kessler properties forming the bulk of the hotel inventory. The hotels would operate autonomously, keeping their names and identities. Initially reluctant, Kessler came to an acceptable arrangement. In 2006, Kessler had dropped the Westin brand affiliation from his downtown Orlando hotel to operate independently. In 2010, Marriott approached Richard Kessler, an independent hotelier and former CEO of Days Inn, to incorporate the seven Kessler boutique properties into its system, under a yet unnamed new brand.
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To grow in the post-2008 economic downturn, Marriott, known for its rigid uniformity, was willing to relax this stipulation to draw independent unique hotels to its network of franchised properties.