What Marriott Learned From Starwood’s Loyalty and Digital Expertise
Photo Caption: Marriott recently debuted new updates to its mobile app which are part of a larger digital strategy for improving the guest experience, and deepening guest loyalty. Marriott International
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Big data, AI, and geo-fencing are coming together to reshape the hotel guest experience, and their combined influence will no doubt change the way hotel brands manage their loyalty programs.
Marriott International, like every other hotel company on the planet, is taking a very intense look at loyalty these days, and asking themselves the following questions: Namely, how do we define it? How do we build it? How do we keep it?
And specific to Marriott, there's also the very big challenge of eventually merging three different loyalty programs — Marriott Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest, and Ritz-Carlton Rewards — by next year.
With the company's newest updates for the Marriott mobile app, we're getting a tiny glimpse into what the company is planning to do — essentially trying to personalize the guest experience with the help of technology.
That means more Mobile Key access at more than 500 hotel properties worldwide, having access to curated destination content from Marriott's Traveler digital magazine, and the ability to submit mobile requests directly to hotel staff before, during, and after a stay.
Going forward, Marriott plans to use artificial intel
