With Marriott and Starwood completing their megamerger Friday, the two giant hotel operators are disclosing what’s ahead for their most loyal customers.
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Marriott announced the completion of the merger Friday in a statement that said the Starwood & Marriott loyalty programs would be linked, with the new company operating or franchising “more than 5,700 properties and 1.1 million rooms” across 30 brands in over 110 countries.
Sorenson said that its agreements with third-party hotel owners require keeping those hotels’ brands as is through the remainder of those contracts. “Having 30 brands allows us to do that”. After acquisition, Marriott’s distribution has more than doubled in Asia and the Middle East. While Hong Kong has seen “a little bit of a softening”, Smith believes the city is still a strong market. Gold elite members of one program automatically get the same gold status in the other one.
The hotel offered customers the option past year to pay via Alipay, an online payment platform by Alibaba Group, which owns the South China Morning Post.
“Chinese travellers want the worldwide brand, but they also want localised experience”, she said. “We have to see how those partnerships evolve”.
One way Marriott can leverage itself is with online travel agencies such as Ctrip, Alitrip, Booking.com, and Expedia. Oberg estimated that the hotels are worth as much as $2 billion.
“Our first priority is to be on the shelf where are customers want to buy”, Roe said.
Marriott has updated its loyalty rewards program to allow for a more seamless transition for customers previously under the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) program.
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For instance, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) members will now be able to reap benefits at luxury brands like the Ritz-Carlton and Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, while Marriott Rewards members can now accrue points for stays at the Sheraton, Aloft, St. Regis and W Hotels.
