What: A somewhat interesting allliance between an hospitality leader and a retailer cum provider of experiences.

Why is it interesting: Department stores and malls do not have anymore the prominence on potential deals with retailers, who can not explore many other possible physical avenues.

Marriott International, a major hotel chain with a revenue of $21 billion from its 8,700 hotels, has partnered with Camp, a smaller company known for its activity-oriented toy stores, to enhance children's experiences at their all-inclusive resorts. This five-year partnership, for an undisclosed licensing fee, aims to rapidly introduce engaging kids' clubs at Marriott's resorts, driven by Camp's innovative approach to children's activities.

This collaboration is part of Marriott's strategy to grow its all-inclusive business segment, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic which saw a shift in travel preferences, with leisure travel outpacing business travel. Marriott has been expanding its all-inclusive resorts, particularly in the Caribbean and Latin America, and sees the partnership with Camp as a way to bolster its offerings for families, with plans to roll out new kids clubs starting in 2024.

Camp, founded in 2018, is known for its experiential retail model, offering interactive and immersive play experiences for children. During the pandemic, the company shifted its revenue model to include entrance fees and focused on immersive shows and a birthday-party business. The partnership with Marriott represents a strategic move for Camp, allowing it to reach more families at vacation destinations and potentially expand to more Marriott hotels in North America.

The partnership involves Camp designing the kids clubs and providing programming and training, while Marriott will handle the construction, operation, and staffing. This move is expected to boost Camp's brand recognition and market its existing stores, although licensing fees from such partnerships are projected to form a small part of Camp's revenue, which Forbes estimates to be less than $50 million annually.

Marriott teams up with Camp to redesign its kids clubs