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December 17, 2019 Owner & Franchise Communications

Q1 2020 Game Plans Now Available

Please note that GMs received their Q1 Game Plans via the December 16 edition of the Weekly Update.

The Q1 Game Plans are now available on The Check-In. Game Plans are intended to aid hotels in their planning for the quarter by providing an overview of actions that will be requested of hotels by Marriott in the coming months.

The following topics and key actions are included in the Game Plans and are key focus areas for Q1:

  • Prepare for CEC Guest Resolution Takeover Charges Relaunch on Jan. 1
    Effective Jan. 1, the service charge on Customer Care Cases sent to hotels via EMPOWER: Guest Experiences (GXP) and not resolved in 72 hours will be in place. Monthly, properties will be billed $55 USD per takeover case if the hotel’s monthly takeover rate exceeds 10% of all cases. Once hitting 10.01%, a hotel will be billed on all property cases in takeover not responded to within 72 hours for that month.

  • Complete Pre-Deployment Activities and Prepare to Migrate to Chip And PIN Solution
    GMs must complete the Equipment Ordering and Property Information Survey, which is available in Land-It, if not already completed.

    GPOS installation is underway and includes Pay at Table for applicable properties with Table Service, or venues that require mobility. Review the deployment schedule on MGS. Hotels should follow the steps in Land-It and visit the Chip and PIN MGS page for more details and resources. 

  • Review Enhanced Reservation Solution (ERS) Rollout Schedule
    ERS will introduce a new shopping experience when guests book direct by adding the ability for hotels to inventory, price and guarantee specific room features such as the bed type, view, balcony, corner room, high/low floor and many more. 

    Review the rollout schedule on MGS for participating hotels along with start and completion dates.

    Hotels that have already completed Bed Type Conversion and ERS Photography will continue deployment activities for ERS Activation in 2020. 

    Additional FSPMS, Opera PMS and LightSpeed PMS hotels will begin deployment in 2020 for ERS Photography followed by ERS Activation with the first waves starting by March. 

  • Implement Mobile Key in 2020: Opt-In for Third-Party Support by March 1
    Mobile Key is a global brand standard effective Jan. 1, 2021 and will be enforced as a major capital improvement under the Marriott Accountability Program. All hotels must install Mobile Key certified RFID BLE locks and activate Mobile Key by Jan. 1, 2021. Hotels not compliant with the Mobile Key brand standard will enter the red zone in 2021, and hotels that have not signed a quote or started preparations for Mobile Key by Q2 2020 will be at risk of non-compliance with the brand standard.

  • Prepare for Associate Alert Device Deployment
    The safety and wellbeing of guests, associates and visitors are among Marriott’s highest priorities. In support of this, hotels should implement  Associate Alert  Devices by Jan. 1, 2021. It is highly recommended that hotels use one of the preferred vendors. Refer to the brand standard for details on the devices, and reference the deployment calendar and additional information on MGS.

  • Prepare For Two-Step and Security Scan for BlueZone Portal
    A new portal will be implemented later this month with increased security features for franchisees and those outside the Marriott network who currently use the BlueZone Portal to access select zOS mainframe applications including MARSHA, CTAC, Rewards, One Yield/Total Yield, OSCAR, OMNI, and MarrPay. Register for Two-Step Verification and confirm the device browser/Java settings meet the minimum requirements prior to Jan. 15 to ensure the new portal can be accessed.

  • Opera Hotels: Prepare For Opera v5.6 Deployments By Installing Splunk and ROMA Beginning Jan. 19
    Splunk provides server configuration data and will be used to acquire property hardware configuration information, including available server desk space to ensure Opera v5.6 can be installed. ROMA is a central monitoring tool that will support future data collection needs and reduce manual efforts on property required to provide data. There is no cost to install the tools, and they will benefit properties during the Opera v5.6 upgrade as well as other future iT initiatives.

    Properties with Opera v5.4 or earlier versions will be scheduled for deployment between mid-2020 and 2021. The deployment schedule will be finalized in Q1 and will be posted to the Opera v5.6 MGS page.

  • CY, FF, SHS, RI, TPS Hotels: Exterior Signage
    The brand standard will require hotels to ensure that all signs on the exterior of a hotel building or on the hotel property are installed in compliance with all relevant design specifications. Given the impact exterior signage can have on guest perception, this standard is planned for inclusion on the BSA at the highest point value. To expedite the replacement process and help offset the estimated $35K-$62K per hotel cost, a one-time subsidy is available to hotels in the U.S. and Canada that complete the installation by Jan. 1, 2022. 

Other notable items include:

  • Drive Total Hotel Adoption of EMPOWER: Guest Experiences (GXP)
    Support total hotel adoption to garner the benefits of GXP. Review and activate new features recently launched in GXP, and monitor consolidated performance metrics in revised report.

  • Prepare for a New Year with Marriott Bonvoy™

  • guestVoice GSS Program Changes Launch Jan. 6
    Additional webinars will be scheduled for the end of January to answer any questions regarding the 2020 survey changes as well as provide additional guidance on comparing 2020 vs. 2019 scores.

  • Ensure Property’s Utility Data and SUSTAIN RESPONSIBLE OPERATIONS (SRO) Tracker Is Updated in MESH by Feb. 13
    For year-end reporting purposes and to report to customers, hotels must input their energy, water and waste data through year-end 2019 in MESH. Hotels must also update their sustainability initiatives in MESH’s SRO Tracker per the OPS-ENG-047 brand standard.

  • Legacy SPG Hotels: QuickGroup Implementation Scheduled by Jan. 31
    QuickGroup with Sleeping Rooms enables hotels to sell groups of 10-25 sleeping rooms directly to customers on Marriott.com. Implementation of QuickGroup with Sleeping Rooms was delayed due to MARSHA and LightSpeed functionality. This has now been successfully updated and tested, and will be activated by Jan. 31 for Aloft, Element and Four Points. Legacy SPG full service hotels can request to implement QuickGroup with Sleeping Rooms by emailing QuickGroup@Marriott.com. Prior to activating, all links on the QuickGroup Training and Support page and FAQs should be reviewed and completed by the appropriate property associates.

  • FSPMS Hotels: Unicorn Tool Reminder and Enhancement Release
    The Unicorn Tool was made available this past year to all FSPMS properties to maximize revenue collection.  It is highly recommended that the hotel has downloaded and installed this tool while executing nightly. If the tool has not already been downloaded, refer to the instructions on MGS. An enhancement for Unicorn, which includes the Unicorn Front Desk, will be available in January.

  • FOSSE Automated Late CXL and Guaranteed No Show (GNS) Functionality Enhancement
    A new FOSSE enhancement will be released in Q1. This enhancement will include Automation for Late CXL Group Reservations. This will help continue the automation processes for Late CXL and GNS to maximize revenue collection.

  • Courtyard Forward: Elevate the Brand Vision
    Courtyard Forward centers on the key focus areas to empower the team to deliver on the brand vision while propelling the brand into the future as a continued industry leader. GMs are encouraged to attend the first Courtyard Forward Webinar on Jan. 29 at 3 p.m. ET for an overview of the key strategic initiatives.

Please encourage your hotels to review their brand-specific Game Plan, and plan for these key actions and activities taking place in Q1 2020.