As expected, Marriott International is unifying its rewards program across its brands. Starting in August, members will be able to book stays and earn or redeem points among 29 global brands, comprising 6,500 hotels in 127 countries and territories.
This move brings members of The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) program under the Marriott Rewards umbrella. Benefits will be enhanced under the new program, the company says, giving members 20 percent more points for every dollar spent, on average.
“We set our sights on unlocking the full potential of our loyalty programs,” says David Flueck, senior vice president of Global Loyalty for Marriott. “We hope to inspire our members whatever their travel passion, whether it is resorts featuring overwater bungalows, peaceful secluded island settings, ski-in/ski-out mountain resorts, towering hotels with picture-worthy views or even former palaces converted into hotels.”
The separate rewards programs will continue to live on under the new set of unified benefits until a new program name is introduced in 2019.
In August, SPG members will see their points balance triple. SPG, Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards members will all earn 10 points for every dollar spent at all brands except for Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites and Element, which will offer five points per every dollar spent. All members will also begin earning points for food and beverage, and qualifying incidentals during their hotel stays, rather than just the room rate.
All hotels throughout the Marriott loyalty portfolio will have no blackout dates for points redemptions.
