Marriott International News

The journey of the largest hotel chain in the world, Marriott International, Inc. – now with more than seven thousand hotel, residential, and timeshare properties – began with a root-beer stand in Washington, D.C. in 1927 started by J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott. Following its $13.3 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 2016, it became the largest global hotel company. It currently commands a mammoth portfolio of more than two dozen hotel brands such as JW Marriott Hotels, The Ritz-Carlton, The Luxury Collection, Delta Hotels, Marriott Vacation Club, Le Méridien, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Courtyard, Fairfield, and W Hotels. Its properties contain nearly a million and a half rooms worldwide. Through its premier loyalty program Bonvoy, it is engaged in partnerships with the likes of United Airlines, Uber, American Express, Hertz, and others to optimize customer engagement.

Announcements

11 Big Editorial Projects From Skift In 2016 You May Have Missed

Our storytelling ambitions at Skift are growing bigger, and this year we've leaned into these big editorial projects in a big way. The key animating function for us is understanding the big picture around travel that you otherwise won't read in other travel or mainstream media. Expect deeper reporting from us over the coming year as well.
Jason Clampet |
Hotels

Interview: How Marriott Will Position Its 30 Hotel Brands

We're still sticking with our takes on which Marriott and Starwood brands will ultimately stay and which ones will ultimately go, but if you want to know what Marriott has in store for all 30 brands, as well as some other still-under-wraps initiatives it plans to launch, read on.
Deanna Ting |
Hotels

Wyndham Fails to Make a Play for Starwood Loyalty Members

If Wyndham had succeeded in luring away SPG members who aren't necessarily elite or top-tier-level members, that would have been a big win for the company, whose portfolio skews more toward economy and midscale brands. But alas, this promotion was proof that even the best-laid plans may not always work--and it pays to pay more attention to how you set it all up.
Deanna Ting |
Hotels

Wyndham Rewards Tops Another List of Loyalty Program Rankings

This survey, which had Wyndham as its winner, only looked at the value you get when you redeem your points for free nights, and it didn't necessarily take into account other loyalty program perks or benefits that can transform a guest into a loyal customer.
Deanna Ting |