Marriott International’s Edition brand, the luxury lifestyle hotel chain launched in partnership with Ian Schrager, will debut five hotels in major gateway cities across three continents by 2015. The new projects include a hotel in New York City’s Clock Tower building, as well as new properties in Bangkok, Abu Dhabi, Los Angeles and Gurgaon, India.

The New York Edition will be located at the landmark Clock Tower building at 5 Madison Ave., which was acquired for $165 million from prior owner Africa Israel USA. While design work is already underway, the renovation and conversion of the building will begin in late 2012. The Bangkok property will be part of a mixed-use development planned for one of the tallest buildings in Bangkok. The Abu Dhabi Edition will be part of the Al Bateen Harbor complex within the Abu Dhabi Marina. Marriott International is also developing Edition hotels in Miami Beach, London and now New York.

The company expects to recycle its property investments over time through the sale of the hotels while maintaining long-term management contracts. The London Edition will open next year in the historic building formerly known as the Berners Hotel, located in the city's Fitzrovia neighborhood. The Miami Beach Edition, under construction in the former Seville Hotel, is expected to open in late 2013. The Istanbul Edition is open and operating under a long-term management agreement.

The Edition portfolio had also included a Waikiki property for which the management contract ended last fall after a hostile takeover of the hotel by its owners, which was then followed by lawsuits between Marriott and the owners.