US-based hospitality giant Marriott International has acquired a minority stake in India’s Concept Hospitality, the operator of The Fern Hotels and Resorts, to launch a new hotel brand aimed at offering well-priced, no-frills lodging.

Initially, The Fern brand will be integrated into Marriott’s new offering, with potential plans to include other brands under Concept Hospitality in the future. Despite Marriott’s strategic investment—valued at approx. USD 15 million, Concept will continue managing its properties independently.

Marriott, which already operates 158 hotels in India with nearly 30,000 rooms, aims to expand its footprint further into secondary and tertiary markets. The new brand will be part of Marriott Bonvoy, the company's global loyalty program.  Concept Hospitality, backed by CG Corp Global of Nepal, currently operates 84 hotels across India, with 31 more in the pipeline, totaling around 8,000 rooms.