Marriott TestBED in Middle East & Africa

Marriott Hotels has launched its TestBED programme in the Middle East & Africa. First launched by Marriott Hotels across Europe in 2016, the unique 10-week accelerator programme gives start-ups the opportunity to test their products within an operating Marriott Hotel in a major city. The programme is open to seed and early stage start-ups with products or services that are ready to pilot in a live hotel environment. It offers them an invaluable opportunity to gain worthwhile feedback from guests and associates to help further develop and perfect their product.

Participating start-ups are hand-picked in an effort to uncover those that can revolutionise a guest’s stay, reinventing the hotel experience throughout the region. Those selected will also be offered mentoring and global exposure. While the start-ups are not required to relocate for the duration of the programme, they may need to travel since the majority of this period will be spent in action within a Marriott Hotel. This will be the first year that the initiative is available in the region, and the programme will begin its roll-out in the United Arab Emirates.