Dive Brief:
- Marriott International expanded its partnership with cloud-based travel technology provider Spotnana through a new direct integration designed to “transform how corporate travelers shop for, book and manage hotel stays,” Marriott announced Thursday.
- The integration furthers Marriott’s corporate travel distribution strategy, building on its existing relationship with Spotnana. In 2024, the hotel company launched Business Access by Marriott Bonvoy, an online program, powered by Spotnana, designed to ease the travel management process for small- to medium-sized businesses.
- Spontana will connect directly with Marriott’s central reservation system, unlocking capabilities that will help customers “better support their travelers and manage spend,” Shannon Patterson, chief commercial performance officer at Marriott, said in a statement. Per Marriott, Spotnana is “the first corporate booking technology company to deliver verified loyalty linking with Marriott Bonvoy.”
Dive Insight:
Key benefits of the integration for corporate travelers include access to real-time hotel rates and inventory as well as up-to-date room and amenity details available through Marriott channels.
Additionally, travelers can modify or cancel bookings directly within Spotnana’s travel platform without agent assistance, while travel agents can manage servicing requests via Spotnana’s built-in agent desktop, per the release. Corporate negotiated rates are also bookable through the Spotnana platform.
With the authenticated account linking capability, travelers can connect their Marriott Bonvoy loyalty account to their Spotnana profile. The technology provider is then able to recognize Marriott Bonvoy status and Marriott Bonvoy credit card holders and display current points balance information, according to the release.
Hillary Dallas, head of global travel and events at Amazon, said the integration’s “clear visibility into negotiated rates, loyalty benefits and self-service tools” has enabled travelers to more seamlessly manage their trips throughout the travel journey.
The integration launches as Marriott aims to provide corporate customers with “innovative technologies that simplify the travel experience,” Patterson said.
Marriott competitors Hilton and Omni Hotels & Resorts have also enhanced their offerings for corporate travel buyers in recent years, with Hilton for Business and Omni Select Business, respectively.
