Marriott International unveils one set of unified benefits across its loyalty programmes
Marriott International Inc., an American multinational diversified hospitality company that manages and franchises a broad portfolio of hotels and related lodging facilities worldwide, Tuesday announced it would introduce one set of unified benefits across its loyalty programmes including Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) for its members starting August 2018.
“Beginning in August, members will be able to combine their separate Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and SPG accounts into a single account spanning the entire loyalty portfolio. The Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards, and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) names will continue to live on under the new set of unified benefits until a new program name is introduced in 2019,” a statement read.
The new scheme would also enable travelers to have the ability to book stays across the entire portfolio for the first time on Marriott.com, SPG.com and the Marriott and SPG apps, or by contacting customer engagement centers.
It would equally enable members to achieve elite status and earn points faster; make points redemption simpler; availed them a significantly improved digital and mobile experience, and increased access to unparalleled experiences.
The move according to the statement would create an incredibly rich hospitality loyalty program in which members will earn more points faster, on average 20 percent more points for every dollar spent, than under the prior programs.
Specifically, the unified programmes would enable members to have access to the most extraordinary portfolio of hotels as they would be able to book stays and earn or redeem points among 29 participating global brands comprising 6,500 hotels in 127 countries and territories.
It would also see to the expansion of the Moments experiential platform and richer and enhanced benefits for members
It said the Moments experiential platform is expanding, with more than 110,000 experiences in 1,000 destinations from must-see attraction tickets and tours for purchase with cash by all guests, to once-in-a-lifetime events only available to members using points, including the new bespoke Moments Live event series.
“We listened to the travel aspirations of our members and set our sights on unlocking the full potential of our loyalty programs,” said David Flueck, Senior Vice President of Global Loyalty, Marriott International.
“We are excited to announce that this August, our members can enjoy one set of benefits across our extraordinary portfolio of hotels from iconic full and select service, to the extended stay, to unique boutiques and luxury brands. We hope to inspire our members whatever their travel passion, whether it is resorts featuring overwater bungalows, peaceful secluded island settings, ski-in / ski-out mountain resorts, towering hotels with picture-worthy views or even former palaces converted into hotels,” he said.
“There are no more important customers than our loyalty members,” said Karin Timpone, Global Marketing Officer, Marriott International.
“With good news for our members, we decided to announce the new benefits now and launch them as quickly as possible, so members could take full advantage. At the same time, we will continue to introduce more exclusive member experiences throughout the year on our Moments platforms,“ Timpone added.