Launch of Marriott Rewards Member Rates
Marriott to launch exclusive pricing for Rewards members who book direct
Marriott is introducing Marriott Rewards Member Rate, a new rate category designed exclusively to benefit Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards program members who book directly via Marriott.com, Marriott’s mobile app, as well as through 1-800-MARRIOTT or a Marriott-branded hotel.
Rewards members will receive an exclusive rate reduction from the lowest publicly-available rate for non-premium rooms of at least two percent on weekdays and up to five percent on weekends. At a later point, hotels will have the ability to increase the discount where needed, subject to Continent guidelines and approval.
This program will launch as a Rewards Brand Standard on Monday, April 11 across all hotels and brands globally, excluding Bulgari and The Ritz-Carlton Reserve, with public communication on Monday, March 14.
Recently competitors and intermediaries have increased the availability of member-only rates and exclusive offers, which emphasizes a growing trend of investment in their loyalty benefits that is likely to continue. This newest Marriott Rewards benefit will ensure that Marriott’s direct channels and loyalty programs remain competitive. In order to stay competitive with the market, Marriott Rewards Member Rate will also be available for use by authorized travel agents and preferred corporate travel partners.
A top priority of Marriott’s Global Distribution Strategy is to encourage a healthy balance of direct and indirect booking channels in order to maximize profitability for our franchisees and owners. This strategy coincides with a continued focus on building a valuable Rewards program that engenders long-term relationships and profitable growth.
We have made significant progress in these areas by creating reasons for guests to become loyal Rewards members and to book direct, including the launches of free Wi-Fi, as well as mobile check-in/check-out and mobile service requests.
The Marriott Rewards Member Rate program also addresses research that shows pricing is the most influential factor for consumers when selecting a booking channel, and that consumers misperceive that third-party distribution channels offer better pricing than brand websites. Offering favorable pricing to Rewards members who book direct is a critical step in differentiating our direct channel experience and reversing this perception.
Launching Marriott Rewards Member Rate is part of an ongoing, multi-year effort. Through this effort we expect that more guests will join our Rewards programs and book directly, which will enable a corresponding decrease in intermediary costs and at the same time build long-term customer loyalty and provide an enhanced customer experience.
Detailed operational guidelines for rate loading and front-office execution, as well as operational and customer-facing FAQs, are available on MGS and will be shared with all hotels via the Weekly Update.
