Marriott International’s global hotel portfolio will be added to TripAdvisor’s Instant Booking platform. Within the next few months, travellers shopping for hotel rooms on TripAdvisor will be able to conveniently make a booking at any of Marriott's more than 4 200 hotels around the world without leaving the TripAdvisor site.
The agreement also signifies a strategic partnership between Marriott and TripAdvisor to introduce new customers to Marriott's broad portfolio of 19 brands across the globe, which includes South Africa’s Protea Hotel Group.
"The result is mutually beneficial to both partners from a strategic and economic standpoint. Marriott's partnership with TripAdvisor will make it easy for consumers to book with our hotels, and allows Marriott to build a direct relationship with these guests even before arrival,” says Shafiq Khan, senior vice president, channel strategy and distribution of Marriott International.
According to Mark Satterfield, Marriott International business leader in South Africa, “When you’re researching hotel options for your next trip overseas or, in fact, even locally within South Africa, and you use the TripAdvisor site, you won’t have to leave that site to make a reservation at the hotel you’ve identified for your stay. You simply click on the ‘Book on TripAdvisor’ button on the same page. And so this arrangement makes for a far more efficient and smooth booking experience.”
Unlike with other intermediaries, all customer support enquiries logged through the site will be handled by Marriott representatives.
