Marriott International has officially announced the completion of its acquisition of Starwood Hotels & resorts, and now members of the Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest programs can get reciprocal benefits.
Starwood’s SPG and Marriott Rewards members can now link their accounts to start earning and redeeming points at the combined portfolio of more than 5,000 hotels.
The new company now comprises 30 brands and about 1.1 million rooms in 110 countries.
"Marriott will draw upon the very best each program offers and we can’t wait to show the loyal members of these programs the power and benefits of Marriott and Starwood coming together," said Stephanie Linnartz, Marriott’s global chief commercial officer.
The two programs have a combined 85 million members but Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson said they will remain separate for the time being while full integration takes place behind the scenes.
Starwood will also keep its own websites and apps for the short term.
"We believe that Marriott now has the world’s best portfolio of hotel brands, the most comprehensive global footprint, and the most extensive loyalty programs," Sorenson said in a statement.
"Combining Starwood’s brands with ours better enables Marriott to reach our goal of having the right brand in the right place to serve our loyal guests and welcome new ones."
