Updated Property Photography Requirements
Franchise Management Companies | As you know, having high-quality imagery on Marriott.com can have a significant impact on the guest experience and encourage further exploration of hotel websites. Further, in support of future enhancements, it is important that hotels comply with all photography requirements, including those outlined below.
Usage Rights | Marriott Rewards & SPG Hotels
Beginning September 1, 2017, all photography, including Marriott Rewards property photography in MDAM and SPG property photography in SAL, will be required to have a Marriott International usage right document. Details are available on MGS.
Image Size Requirements | Marriott Rewards Hotels
We began communicating to Marriott Rewards hotels in October 2015 that all source files for photos displayed on hotel websites in MDAM must meet our new size requirements. Due to specific requirements from the OTAs and to standardize the production process for Marriott.com, a minimum size requirement was established for both new and existing Marriott hotel photography – files must be at least 4,000 pixels wide and 2,600 pixels. As of October 2017, Marriott.com’s new image size requirements will be in production, and any image that does not meet the size requirement will be removed from Marriott.com and OTA sites.
Please note that some properties do not currently have any photography that meets the new requirements. These properties must take action to have new photos taken and/or uploaded prior to October to ensure their property continues to have photography displayed on their hotel website. The list of photos (updated monthly) that will be removed, and instructions on how to submit larger files so the photos can remain on the websites, is available on MGS.
Process for SAL Images | SPG Hotels
Effective February 6, 2017, the process for submitting digital photography to the Starwood Asset Library (SAL) tool was updated to include the ability to attach property-specific usage rights and model releases. As of January 2019, legacy images will need to include property-specific usage rights or they will be removed from production.
Additionally, effective Sept. 5, 2017, images that are submitted to SAL need to be final – files should be retouched and ready for production on starwoodhotels.com. This new process should improve speed-to-market and will also result in a reduction in production cost, from $24 per image to $10 per image, with only images that are approved for starwoodhotels.com incurring the image production fee.
This information will be shared with properties via the August 21 Weekly Update and Week Ahead emails, as applicable. We appreciate your support in ensuring your properties take any necessary steps to comply with these photography requirements.
