Marriott and Expedia Exclusive Agreement Will Retake Control of Wholesale Rates
Skift Take
In an I-just-saw-an-elephant-fly moment, Marriott International will be directing businesses to Expedia Group to access certain Marriott wholesale rates. Bedbanks, tour operators, and smaller online travel agencies that play games with room rates are put on notice.
In an industry first, Expedia Group will next month become the exclusive distributor of Marriott International wholesale and promotional room rates, availability, and content to bedbanks, and other redistributors when they don't have a direct connection with the hotel chain.
The bigger hotel bedbanks, such as Spain's HotelBeds, Australia's WebBeds, and Indonesia's MG Bedbank, will be directed by Marriott starting October 15 to establish ties with Expedia's business-to-business unit, Expedia Partner Solutions, if they want to continue to access Marriott's rates and availabilities from any of the chain's 7,000 properties in 132 countries and territories.
Come See Marriott International CFO Leeny Oberg and Expedia Group CEO Mark Okerstrom at Skift Global Forum Sept. 18-19 in NYC. Get Tickets Now
The exclusive global pact to create what the two parties are calling "a single gateway for the redistribution of Marriott's wholesale inventory" through "op
