The new Westin at Denver’s airport is a short walk from the terminal. (Image: Jim Glab)
By the end of this week, Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts should be a single company – the world’s largest lodging group – after the Chinese Government gave regulatory approval to the merger of the two hotel giants.
China’s OK was the last hurdle that the merger had faced; Marriott and Starwood said in a joint announcement that they now expect the merger to be finalized before the market opens on Friday (September 23).
Of course, the legal closing of the merger is only the beginning of a long and complicated path toward combining the operations of the two companies. For customers, the two biggest questions will be: 1) How will the merger affect the branding of the groups’ hotels; and 2) How will their respective loyalty programs be combined, and when?
Marriott International currently includes 4,500 properties in 88 countries, while Starwood’s roster lists 1,300 locations in 100 nations. Membership in their guest loyalty programs – Marriott Rewards (and the affiliated Ritz-Carlton Rewards) and Starwood Preferred Guest – numbers in the scores of millions.
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Quirky perks like new terrace suites (with grass and sheep) at Marriott’s Renaissance New York Times Square hotel- a sign of Starwood’s influence? (Photo: Marriott)
In a TV interview last spring, Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson suggested that integrating the two companies’ brands could take a long time.
“We’ve got separate owners of each of these hotels. And our contracts are long term…We don’t tend to have the right if you’re a hotel owner to say we’ve just decided to change the brand name on your hotel to something else…I think instead we’ll try and do what we can to drive distinctions between the brands,” Sorenson said.
As for the loyalty programs “I think we can make sure the benefits stay the same if not get better, but offer them (i.e. members) a broader selection,” he said, although he did not estimate how long it might take to combine the programs. Since then, Marriott Rewards has tinkered with its Rewards program, adding some Starwood-esque bells and whistles such as guaranteed late check out and a concierge service. But there have been few big moves indicating a coming merger of the programs, and we could easily end up seeing two separate programs (with reciprocal benefits) in existence for quite some time. In the meantime, SPG elite members will remain fearful of losing their cherished benefits.
Marriott’s 19 brands include Ritz-Carlton, Bulgari, EDITION, JW Marriott, Autograph Collection Hotels, Renaissance Hotels, Marriott Hotels, Delta Hotels and Resorts, Marriott Executive Apartments, Marriott Vacation Club, Gaylord Hotels, AC Hotels by Marriott, Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn & Suites, TownePlace Suites, Protea Hotels by Marriott and Moxy Hotels.
Starwood has 10 brands — St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Le Méridien, Sheraton, Tribute Portfolio, Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft and Element, plus a partnership with Design Hotels.
DONT MISS! The 100,000 points question!
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