There are now more than 110 million members of Marriott Rewards as the loyalty program has merged with The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG). Marriott International acquired Starwood Hotels and Resorts in 2016, with the hospitality giant now boasting a portfolio of 29 brands and more than 6,700 participating hotels in 130 countries and territories.
The unification means that members are able to earn and redeem across the entire loyalty portfolio and achieve Elite status faster with newly added Elite tiers. Members now earn on average 20 percent more points per dollar spent and have their Elite status recognised consistently at every hotel as they indulge in the elevated benefits they’ve earned.
When members combine their accounts, their points balances will also combine, ending the need to transfer points between programs. For SPG members, their SPG points balance multiplied by three. All members earn 10 points for every dollar spent at all luxury hotels. In addition, for 2018, nights earned at Marriott Rewards and SPG hotels will also combine, potentially helping members achieve Elite status faster. Under the unified programs, all SPG members receive a new account number to align with the Marriott Rewards system.
Under the unified programs, members now earn Silver Elite status after just ten nights annually, Gold Elite status after just 25 nights, Platinum Elite status after 50 nights and Platinum Premier Elite status after 75 nights. All Platinum Premier members surpassing 100 nights and $20,000 annual spend will enjoy the highest level of personalized service – the popular ambassador program – along with all the other benefits in that tier.
“We merged the incredible earning and redeeming power of Marriott Rewards with the phenomenal Elite benefits of SPG to create one of the richest travel loyalty programs with the most extraordinary global portfolio of hotels – from overwater bungalows, to mountainside ski resorts, to iconic urban landmarks,” explained David Flueck, Senior Vice President, Global Loyalty, Marriott International.
To combine the separate accounts into one, members need to visit www.marriott.com/loyalty or www.spg.com.