Marriott has partnered with Groups360 to upgrade
the booking process at hotels in the United States and Canada.
The ‘Instant Book’ functionality on the GroupSync
Marketplace provides
planners with a streamlined booking process for both guest rooms
and meeting space at the click of a
button.
As the meetings and events landscape becomes more
dynamic, many planners are currently challenged by the lengthy
sourcing and contracting process, especially for smaller events.
The need to book meeting space separately from guest rooms only
adds complexity.
“We are thrilled to have Marriott International
join GroupSync Marketplace. Event organizers benefit not only from
instant booking for rooms and space but from à la carte catering
and equipment ordering too,” said Kemp Gallineau, CEO, Groups360.
“Their involvement is a testament to the commitment to reduce
friction in group travel planning and help hoteliers, like
Marriott, enhance their customer relationships. With the addition
of Marriott International, we anticipate that over 20,000 leading
hotel properties will be equipped to offer online group booking in
the months ahead.”
GroupSync’s direct integration with Marriott now
offers planners access to real-time best available group rates and
inventory at over 1,500 Marriott properties across the United
States and Canada, with additional growth expected throughout
2023.
Once the instant booking is completed on GroupSync, hotels
receive instant notification for faster handling and execution of
small meetings – which Marriott defineds as 10-25 guest rooms on
peak and/or events for up to 50 attendees, starting 4 days out and
up to 1 year out with a maximum length of stay of 7 days.
In addition, planners now have the benefit of
viewing inventory availability before submitting an RFP for more
complex events at all Marriott hotels globally.
The combination of
these new capabilities turns the “sourcing” process into the
“shopping” or “buying” process, simplifying the way planners book
meetings.
“Through our collaboration with Groups360, we can
now deliver real-time instant booking through GroupSync
Marketplace at hotels in the U.S. and Canada,” said Drew Pinto,
Global Officer, Global Sales, Distribution and Revenue Management,
Marriott International. “This offers our group customers what they
have told us they are looking for, which is a much more seamless
and efficient booking experience. Our industry-leading integration
with Groups360 will also allow all Marriott hotels globally to
receive and respond to RFPs quickly and efficiently through a
two-way response process. This will be a win-win for both planners
and hotels.”
Marriott is celebrating the GroupSync Marketplace
launch by giving away 1 million Marriott Bonvoy points with the
Plan to Win promotion.
