Marriott International and Groups360 have announced the launch of an instant booking solution for Marriott’s portfolio of hotels in the U.S. and Canada. Marriott International is the first brand to have a direct integration with Groups360 to offer the “Instant Book” functionality for both guestrooms and meeting space at scale on GroupSync Marketplace, providing planners with a streamlined booking process at the click of a button.
As the meetings and events landscape becomes more dynamic, many planners are challenged by the lengthy sourcing and contracting process, especially for smaller events. The need to book meeting space separately from guestrooms only adds complexity. GroupSync’s direct integration with Marriott offers planners access to real-time best available group rates and inventory at over 1,500 Marriott properties across the U.S. 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. This new capability reduces planning time and directly addresses the needs of Marriott’s group customers.
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.”
Kemp Gallineau, CEO of Groups360 pointed out that event organizers benefit not only from instant booking for rooms and space, but from à la carte catering and equipment ordering, too. “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,” he added.
Marriott is celebrating the GroupSync Marketplace launch by giving away a million Marriott Bonvoy points with the “Plan to Win Giveaway.” To enter, planners can book their small event for the chance to win 30,000 points, or book a larger event using GroupSync’s streamlined RFP process at one of Marriott’s hotel brands for a chance to win 20,000 points.
A small meeting is defined as 10 to 25 guestrooms on peak and/or events for up to 50 attendees, starting four days out and up to a year out with a maximum length of stay of seven days.
For more information, visit Marriott.com or Groups360.com.
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