Marriott's President Says Direct Bookings Have 'Exploded'
Brand Engagement Was Vital When No One Was Traveling
A major part of Marriott International’s strategy throughout the pandemic was staying engaged with guests, President Stephanie Linnartz said.
A major part of Marriott International’s strategy throughout the pandemic was staying engaged with guests, President Stephanie Linnartz said.
In a video interview with HNN at the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, Linnartz said there are 157 million members of Marriott’s loyalty program, Bonvoy, and the company wanted to make sure it stayed connected with them even though they weren’t traveling.
The global hotel brand company set up partnerships with 11,000 independent restaurants as well as food delivery services to allow members to earn and use Bonvoy points, she said. The company also worked out point deals with its branded credit card partners.
“We wanted to make sure throughout the pandemic that we were staying connected with people in their everyday lives before they were traveling and getting them really excited to earn points when they got [them] so they could use them when they got back on the road,” she said.