Marriott International has grown in Las Vegas after it announced signing a licensing deal with MGM Resorts International to create a new brand—MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy.
Marriott has signed an exclusive, long-term strategic licensing agreement with MGM, which will launch in October and include 17 of MGM’s resorts totaling 40,000 rooms in Las Vegas and other cities in the U.S. The agreement, which has a term duration of 20 years, will increase Marriott’s global room distribution by 2.4% as well as grow its presence on the Las Vegas Strip.
MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy resorts can be booked on Marriott’s digital platforms, including Marriott.com and the Marriott Bonvoy mobile app. All MGM resorts are expected to be available by the end of the year.
These resorts will continue to be available on MGM’s channels, which include MGMRewards.com and the MGM Resorts mobile app.
This comes within a week of MGM announcing that it would end its 10-year-long partnership with Hyatt, effective September 30.
With the agreement, members of MGM Rewards can now link their accounts with Marriott Bonvoy and get select member benefits. About 180 million members of Marriott Bonvoy can earn and redeem points for stays at all MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy properties.
“We want to make sure we have the right product in every destination our guests go for every trip purpose. We can now offer the entire breadth of the MGM portfolio to our guests,” said Anthony Capuano, president and CEO, Marriott International.
Capuano said that the wealth of the intellectual property that MGM controls, in terms of entertainment options, culinary offerings and experiences, was the most compelling aspect of this deal.
The historic agreement brings together two of the most iconic brands in hospitality and entertainment, said Bill Hornbuckle, president and CEO, MGM Resorts.
“We’ve seen first-hand the strong demand from Marriott International customers through our existing relationship at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and this new agreement will enable us to further optimize our overall profitability. We’re thrilled to now scale the relationship and offer Marriott Bonvoy members greater distribution access to our award-winning resorts — as well as exclusive event and entertainment opportunities — in Las Vegas and across the U.S.,” Hornbuckle said in a statement.
The scale, along with the marketing exposure, will be special, he said while interacting at a press meet.
Hornbuckle said this deal will give them a competitive edge over other players on the Strip.
“I think it’s a huge advantage. What’s key here is that MGM will have a marketing deal with Marriott Bonvoy. And some of the players will be able to earn Bonvoy points on some transactions. MGM Rewards members have the opportunity to deploy those points across the portfolio, which includes 8,500 hotels in 138 countries.”
Among the 17 MGM resorts joining the new collection, four properties will join Marriott’s brands — Bellagio Resort & Casino will join The Luxury Collection; ARIA Resort & Casino will become part of Autograph Collection; Park MGM will join Tribute Portfolio; and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will continue to be part of the Autograph Collection.
Eight MGM properties in Las Vegas will become a part of the MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy — Vdara Hotel & Spa, MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, NoMad Las Vegas, The Signature at MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, New York-New York Hotel & Casino, Luxor Hotel and Casino and Excalibur Hotel & Casino.
MGM’s five resorts in other locations will also join MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy — Borgata (Atlantic City, N.J.), Beau Rivage (Biloxi, Miss.), MGM Grand Detroit (Mich.), MGM National Harbor (Md.), and MGM Springfield (Mass.).
MEMBER BENEFITS
Members of Marriott Bonvoy and MGM Rewards stand to gain and can enjoy certain benefits at Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of over 8,500 properties globally.
Members of both programs can also exchange their MGM Rewards points for Marriott Bonvoy points and vice versa.
MGM’s entertainment, culinary and sports offerings will further enhance the unique experiences of the Marriott Bonvoy Moments.
Marriott has also signed a loyalty marketing agreement with BetMGM, MGM’s online gaming and sports betting JV, which will allow Marriott Bonvoy to become BetMGM’s exclusive hospitality loyalty program partner in the U.S. and Canada.
Marriott Bonvoy members can earn points on some BetMGM transactions and participate in exclusive games, offers and experiences on BetMGM. BetMGM Rewards members will also be eligible to exchange their pints for Marriott points.