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Marriott invests to make loyalty more experiential

With the likely goal to help its loyalty platforms reflect a more experiential profile, Marriott International on Monday invested in PlacePass, a technology solution offering travelers an online metasearch platform for in-destination experiences.

Through the two-year-old startup, travelers will soon be able choose from an additional 100,000-plus local experiences in 800 destinations worldwide when they book direct on Marriott.com or SPG.com, or their respective apps.

The news comes as Marriott announced membership in its loyalty programs – Marriott Rewards, which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards, and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) – has surpassed 100 million members.

In 2006, SPG launched Moments, which is now complemented by Marriott Rewards’ Experiences Marketplace, where members last year redeemed points for about 6,000 travel experiences, around passion points like music, sports, culinary and culture.

“The addition of PlacePass activities and tours beginning later this year reflects Marriott’s commitment to giving our guests a complete travel experience, whether they are in planning mode, staying in our hotels and even in-between stays when they’re thinking about travel,” said Stephanie Linnartz, global chief commercial officer, Marriott International. “We want our guests to count on Marriott to give them access to more of the destinations and things they love to do when they travel.”

Among some of the opportunities that will be presented through PlacePass:

  • Explore the filming locations for the hit series “Downton Abbey” on a VIP guided tour from London, including Highclere Castle and Bampton, the setting for Downton village.
  • Wrestle with a retired sumo wrestler in Tokyo, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the history of Japan’s national sport.
  • Get a taste of desert life in the dunes outside Dubai. Explore the dunes by camel or 4×4, then enjoy a sunset view of the desert and traditional Bedouin-style dinner.
  • Explore Cambodia’s iconic temples on a sunrise mountain biking tour through the Angkor Archaeological Park.
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