NewMarriott to link its Rewards loyalty programme to Starwood’s Preferred Guest
Marriott becomes the world’s largest hotel operator, managing more than 1.1 million rooms under 30 brands in over 110 countries
Marriott International, operator of the world’s largest hotel group after its US$13 billion takeover of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc, said it will give reciprocal benefits to the 85 million members of each other’s loyalty programmes.
The combined company, operating more than 1.1 million rooms under 30 brands in over 110 countries, will link Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest programmes, said Craig S. Smith, president and managing director of Marriott International in Asia-Pacific, at a press conference in Hong Kong.
“Consumers want much more diversity, they want unique experiences,” Smith said. “Having 30 brands allows us to do that.”
Marriott is looking to expand in the Asia-Pacific region, where Smith hopes growth will double in the next four to five years.
In China, Marriott is now the largest hotel operator, with 4.1 per cent of the market, according to research firm Euromonitor International.
“Our second largest source market globally is China, and I’m fairly sure that in a few years, it’ll be number one,” Smith said. While Hong Kong has seen “a little bit of a softening,” Smith believes the city is still a strong market.
Marriott has worked over the years to win over Chinese customers, including a “Li Yu” programme in 2012 that connects individuals to Mandarin-speaking servers and via popular Chinese messaging app WeChat.