If you believe that 'strangers are simply friends you haven't met yet', you could be making a lot more if you stay at some Marriott hotels in the near future.

The largest hotel chain in the world is planning to make communal rooms in some of its hotels that will be shared by between six and 16 guests.

The idea, which is still in the design stage, would be rolled out in 23 Element hotels which is the chain's eco-conscious, extended stay brand.

Guests will have their own rooms to sleep in, but they will share a kitchen, dining room and lounge area.

Marriott is planning to make communal rooms in some of their hotels that will be shared by between six and 16 guests

However, it won't be just families and business colleagues who will be able to reserve; random strangers will also be able to book the individual rooms

'Our lobbies have become more communal and social hubs, but we saw a need for something in between. There are a lot of opportunities for people to have their shared common space and be together but still have their private space.'

'We strive to stay one step ahead of what our guests want in order to innovate and evolve our hotel experiences. More and more our guests are telling us that they want more unique, shared spaces whether on the road for business or leisure,' Toni Stoeckl from Marriott told DailyMail.com

'For example, our business guests have told us they would love private spaces where they can review presentations together or catch up over coffee but don’t always need a formal meeting room or the higher energy of a public lobby or bar.

'On the flip side, leisure travellers, particularly families, want a similar balance of shared and private space so they can dine together, watch a movie, and then retreat to their rooms. The room is also perfect for guests travelling alone who are seeking a sense of community. In fact many of our business travellers often tell us that they want to be “comfortable being alone while still in the presence of others” which the Communal Space also provides.'

The communal spaces consists of a block of about 3-4 rooms surrounding a common living room and kitchen area (above, artists impression)

The Element brand is popular with young business travelers. The brand provides rooms at a lower price point with many of the amenities found in higher-end hotels.

'The day-to-day traveler today, they are self-sufficient, they carry their own bags, they're looking for ease of travel, they're looking for a quality sleep experience, they're looking for some food and beverage, but they're not necessarily looking for the full service experience,' said Eric Jacobs to USA Today.

'They're there for a night. Do they really need a huge spa and banquet spaces?'

Some of the rooms are already being trialed out in Marriott's own 'innovation lab' based at its headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, although none actually exist in any of the hotels just yet.