Share, Like, Tweet, Repeat…Get Marriott Rewards “PlusPoints”

Marriott LogoMarriott finds a way to make tweeting even more rewarding!  If you are one of those people who love to tweet, share, or Instagram everything that you are doing, you are going to love this.  From the press release:

Are you constantly sharing with friends, family and colleagues on social media?  Now, once again, Marriott Rewards is changing the game with PlusPoints, a new, easy and fast way to earn points whenever and however you connect.  All those Likes, Tweets, re-Tweets, Instagram posts and Foursquare check-ins can instantly result in up to 2,000 PlusPoints per month.  Download image.

“Our members have been supporting and talking about Marriott Rewards and our hotels on social media for years and we think PlusPoints will be a fun and innovative way to say thanks and to keep the conversation going,” said Rich Toohey, vice president, Marriott Rewards.  “It is another bold step in making Marriott Rewards an active participant beyond the travel experience and engaging our members as they connect with their social networks.”

With PlusPoints, Marriott Rewards members see their points accumulate immediately, in real time.  PlusPoints can be earned everyday through social media sharing – enrolled members will receive 25 points each time they share content about Marriott Rewards and our hotels and 250 points when they Like a hotel’s Facebook page or follow a property on Twitter. PlusPoints are instantly loaded into the member’s Marriott Rewards account and a confirmation will be sent by email.

With PlusPoint’s easy and instant way to earn points, Marriott Rewards is also offering low-point redemption options. For as little as 5,000 points, members can purchase a $10 gift card for Best Buy, Gap, Lowes or Macy’s or view a variety of merchandise options.  Members can also spend 7,500 points for a $15 iTunes gift card. To get started and begin earning PlusPoints, visit www.marriottrewardspluspoints.com.

Is this an exciting new program?  You bet!  Is it bribery?  Nah, we prefer to say ‘viral marketing’.

Source:  Marriott Press Release

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company Plans on Adding 20 More Hotel Projects by 2016

Ritz-Carlton LogoRitz-Carlton announced plans to add another 20 hotel projects by the end of 2016, putting their total hotels over the century mark.  From the press release:

In the last 12 months, The Ritz-Carlton has opened three iconic properties, including Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Puerto Rico, The Ritz-Carlton, Abu Dhabi a beach-front resort in the capital city of The United Arab Emirates, and the brand’s first hotel in the stunning European city of Vienna in Austria.

No less than six new Ritz-Carlton hotels are scheduled to open in the last quarter of this year, including two properties in China; The Ritz-Carlton, Chengdu and The Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin; The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba will add to the stunning Caribbean portfolio; and the luxury brand is slated to open in three new countries with The Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya, Israel; The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty in Kazakhstan and The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore in India.

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CNBC’s “Hotel: Behind Closed Doors at Marriott” is much watch TV for Hoteliers

cnbcSet your DVRs, CNBC has recently started airing their new special on Marriott.

The special focuses on the recent growth of Marriott, as well as the struggles.  It includes an interview with former CEO Bill Marriott before wrapping up with a great segment on the 5 Diamond Service provided by Ritz-Carlton.

We will let you know as soon as CNBC posts the full episode online.

Check out this preview here:

Also, check out this preview about the Ritz-Carlton segment of the show.

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Hilton Passes Marriott in Customer Satisfaction, Hyatt Plunges

asciLogoIn the newest results (First Quarter 2009, released May 19, 2009), The American Customer Satisfaction Index is reporting that Hilton Hotels has passed Marriott Hotels in customer satisfaction.  The ACSI ranks different types of businesses each quarter in customer satisfaction.  This quarter they ranked hotels, airlines, cable television, fast food, and utility companies.  The hotel scores come out once per year.  You can read the full report on their website.

Hilton scored a 79 (a 1 percent increase) while Marriott scored a 77 (a 1 percent decrease).  Hyatt’s scores have plunged 5 percent since last year and now two budget brands (Choice Hotels and Best Western) actually scored higher.  Wyndham scored the worst of any hotel.  Here are the 2009 rankings from best to worst:

  1. Hilton
  2. Marriott
  3. Choice Hotels
  4. Best Western
  5. InterContinental
  6. Hyatt
  7. Starwood
  8. Wyndham

Overall, despite the rough times that hotels have faced in the last year, the average score in the industry remains unchanged.  However, that is mainly due to guest’s satisfaction with the budget hotels.  Both Choice Hotels and Best Western had a 7 percent increase since last year.

Our take:  Guest are certainly demanding more and it shows.  While it is great to see that overall satisfaction is unchanged, it is tough to see that the budget brands are passing the luxury hotels.  Once luxury brands lose guests to budget brands, it is very difficult to get them back.  What do you think?  Is your hotel losing guests to another brand?  Post your comments below!

Owner of Marriott Downtown Los Angeles Files for Bankruptcy

Just a sign of the tough times the hotel business is facing.  The LA Times is reporting that the owner of the Downtown L.A. Marriott has filed for bankruptcy in an attempt to keep the hotel open for business.

The hotel has been owned by Ezri Namvar since 2007.

The hotel is located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles’ financial district and is very close the LA Live.

It is a great hotel and we wish them luck.

Three Hotel Brands Named Customer Service Champs by BusinessWeek

businessweekFour Seasons Hotels & Resorts (12th place), Ritz-Carlton (5th), and JW Marriott (25th) all made the top 25 of BusinessWeek’s annual best companies for customer service.  All three hotel brands received an ‘A’ on both Quality of Staff and Efficiency of Service.  All three also scored about 50 percent on Definitely Would Recommend Brand.  JW Marriott did the best on Will Definitely Repurchase by scoring 48 percent, a tremendous score for a hotel.

Other travel companies that made the list were Jetblue Airlines (19) and Enterprise Rent-A-Car (16).

To view the full list on BusinessWeek’s website, click here.