Marriott Rewards has announced that from 11 April, 2016 it will be offeirng members a discounted rate at Marriott Hotels. The new rates, entitled Marriott Rewards Member Rates, will be available for bookings via direct Marriott booking channels.
Under the new rate, Marriott says that members will be offered a minimum discount of two percent on weekdays and a discount of up to five percent on weekends. The offer, which Marriott describes as a reward to members, does require that members book through Marriott booking channels to take advantage of the discounted rates.
For the purposes of the discounted rate, the eligible booking channels are:
- the Marriott worldwide reservations centers
- Official Marriott websites (e.g. Marriott.com, Marriott.co.uk) and RitzCarlton.com
- The Marriott mobile app and The Ritz-Carlton® mobile app
- Any hotel participating in Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards
- Authorised travel agents or corporate travel partner
Marriott say that the new rate will join other members benefits such as loyalty points, mobile check-in and check-out, and free wifi. While Marriott promote it as a reward for members,Marriott have added a new tactic in trying to entice booking through its own channels. The provision of a small discount may also help to reduce the number of Best rice Guarantee claims that are made using cheaper rates found elsewhere.
In making this move, Marriott has joined Hilton in providing a special members only rate.
