If hotels are the harbinger of a global economic recovery, then conditions may be brightening. As brandchannel has reported over the past several months, a number of hotel chains are launching new hotels and announcing ambitious expansion plans.

Now Marriott International has just announced plans to double its presence in Europe by 2015, increasing its portfolio from 40,000 rooms to 80,000 rooms. Of the Marriott chain's eighteen brands, seven are currently represented in Europe. The expansion in Europe includes some 30 projects.Continue reading...

Barclays is on track to report record profits. [Guardian]

Renault boasts it will produce a cheaper car than the Tata Nano. [FT]

Infiniti's Essence debuts at Geneva auto show, then tours malls and hotels in the US. [NY Times]

Audi, BMW and Mercedes sales gain due to BRIC countries. [WSJ]

Visa launches worldwide campaign in run-up to Olympics. [BrandWeek]

Starbucks attributes 52-week high to "strength of the brand." [CNBC]

Google newest iteration, Caffeine, will go live soon. [Telegraph]

Novartis will spend $200 million on campaign for OTC heartburn drug Prevacid. [WSJ]

(More headlines: Tesco loyalty, Marriott boutique chain.)Continue reading...