Marriott’s Linnartz Sees Google as Effective Add-On to Direct Channels

Marriott International has been making varied investments in everything from loyalty to experiences as a means to expand its guest ecosystem, but Chief Commercial Officer Stephanie Linnartz also values the chain's Google partnership as a way to acquire new customers.

Marriott International has been making varied investments in everything from loyalty to experiences as a means to expand its guest ecosystem, but Chief Commercial Officer Stephanie Linnartz also values the chain's Google partnership as a way to acquire new customers.

"We have always maintained that intermediaries, such as Google or OTAs (online travel agencies), can play an important role in helping us acquire new customers beyond the reach of our existing sales channels," Linnartz said.

Skift asked Linnartz about its Google relationship, the Marriott-Alibaba joint venture, attribute-based reservations, and how it blends high tech and high touch as a prelude to her appearance June 27 at the Skift Tech Forum in San Francisco.

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Skift is the largest industry intelligence and marketing platform in travel, providing news, information, data and services to all sectors of the world's largest industry. Skift identifies and synthesizes existing and emerging trends, in its daily coverage of the global travel industry and through its Skift Trends Reports. Skift produces Skift Global Forum annually to bring together over 500 of the most influential professionals in the...