23 May 2018

Marriott unveils partnerships for in-destination experiences platform

Marriott has signed a series of deals with technology companies to expand and open up its Marriott Moments platform of bookable destination activities.

The hotel company says that Marriott Moments can now be booked by anybody, regardless of whether they are staying at one of its properties or not. Although, there are still some experiences that can only be booked by loyalty programme members.

The expanded Moments programme has been put together in partnership with PlacePass, which specialises in metasearch and price comparison for in-destination activities, tours and attractions.

Marriott is also now offering the ability to find and book these experiences through Facebook Messenger, which can be used to ask staff from Marriott Rewards or SPG about activities in their chosen destination. These activities can then be booked through the customer’s smartphone.

Activities have been recommended by a range of local experts in each destination, including hotel staff, while more than 100 experiences have been suggested by chefs, actors and sporting stars.

Marriott has also agreed another new partnership with Eatwith, an online platform offering culinary experiences with local people in more than 130 countries around the world.

Stephanie Linnartz, global chief commercial officer for Marriott International, says: “With the expansion of Marriott Moments to everyone, whether they are a guest of ours or not, we are building a global culture of adventure seekers who can pursue their passions.”

While 110,000 activities are open to everybody, there are also 8,000 experiences that can only be booked by Marriott Rewards and SPG members using their points.

The move comes after Marriott announced last month (April) plans to merge its Rewards scheme with Starwood’s SPG and Ritz-Carlton Rewards.

Related reading:

The value of customer centricity in loyalty as Millennials rise to the top

Wake up – loyalty means nothing without a quality experience

Photo by Ron Smith on Unsplash