Marriott International has officially expanded to include 30 of the most desirable and prestigious hotel brands in the industry with the addition of the Starwood Hotels and Resorts portfolio and the company is yet to give any indication any brands will be dropped.
Marriott International President and CEO, Arne Sorenson, said the combined company now comprised 5,700 hotels and 1.1 million rooms in over 110 countries across the globe and guests now have access to the best hotels and resorts wherever they travel.
“The marriage of these two leading hotel companies means Marriott will deliver an unparalleled guest experience with more hotels in more global destinations, an unrivaled range of comprehensive accommodations to suit every traveler, and the industry’s best loyalty programs,” he said.
“Providing such a wide selection reinforces our enduring commitment to offering guests an even greater world to explore with Marriott at their side.”
Sorenson said Marriott International’s portfolio now includes The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, Bulgari Hotels and Resorts, JW Marriott, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels and Edition in the luxury and lifestyle segments; Westin, Renaissance and Autograph Collection occupying an evolving lifestyle category; premium brands like Marriott Hotels and Sheraton; and new, fun, accessible experiences at Moxy Hotels, AC Hotels and Aloft.
At this stage, Marriott International has not suggested any brands will be dropped, meaning the company will operate the largest brand portfolio in the global hotel industry.
Also starting this week, members of Marriott’s leading loyalty programs, Marriott Rewards – which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards – and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), are invited to link their accounts at members.marriott.com to enjoy the benefits, recognition and experiences each program has to offer.
Members will have their status matched across programs and be able to transfer and redeem points across programs for travel to more destinations than ever before.
Members who link their accounts will be able to transfer points at a three-to-one ratio (three Marriott Rewards points = one SPG Starpoint) between the programs for redemption stays or on the Marriott Rewards Experiences Marketplace or SPG’s Moments platform.
“Marriott’s and Starwood’s guests have shown tremendous loyalty to our brands and now that we are one company, we are seizing the opportunity to reinforce our loyalty to them,” said Marriott International’s Executive Vice President and Global Chief Commercial Officer, Stephanie Linnartz.
“Beginning now, we’re drawing upon the best of our loyalty programs by enabling members to join or link their accounts and immediately receive reciprocal status and benefits.”
Members of Marriott Rewards – which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards – and SPG will immediately be able to take advantage of these benefits:
-Status Match: Receive immediate status match across programs to take advantage of robust member benefits and recognition.
-Points Transfer & Redemption: Transfer points between programs to access new and exciting redemption opportunities. Redeem points to visit new destinations, indulge interests with exclusive experiences, and purchase merchandise through the loyalty shopping mall.
-Moments / Experiences: Gain exclusive access to money-can’t-buy events and experiences powered by our combined portfolio of exciting global partnerships in music, sports (including professional football, baseball, basketball, and tennis), and entertainment.
-Access to More Destinations: Now Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards members can use points to travel to new, sought-after destinations such as the Maldives; Santorini, Greece; and Bora Bora, while SPG members have access to popular locales such as Aruba; Tuscany’s Serchio Valley; and Kruger National Park, South Africa.
-Member Rates: Members of the loyalty programs who link their accounts will be able to take advantage of exclusive Member Rates – our lowest guaranteed rates – when they book direct on the Marriott mobile app or SPG app, on Marriott.com or SPG.com, through a call center or with a hotel.
-Mobile: When members book their stays directly with Marriott, they can use the Marriott mobile app to check in and check out, receive an alert when their room is ready, as well as make service requests directly to participating hotels using Mobile Requests before, during, and after their stays. Similarly, SPG’s mobile app allows guests to use SPG Keyless to check in, get their room number and unlock the room door using their smartphone or Apple Watch at participating hotels.
-Free WiFi: When loyalty members book direct through the Marriott mobile or SPG apps, on Marriott.com or SPG.com they will always receive free in-room WiFi.