The big dog is in the haus.
Marriott has joined the world of All Inclusive Resorts in a BIG way.
Why is that important?
Loyalty Points! (aka free nights)
When you stay at any one of Marriotts 30 brands (which collectively have about 8700 hotels) you can rack up Bonvoy loyalty points that can be used for vacations at their All Inclusive portfolio.
In A Nutshell: Marriott is changing the All Inclusive Resort landscape with their Bonvoy loyalty program. They entered the market with the Autograph Collection which are approximately 30 all inclusive resorts via an agreement with Blue Diamond Resorts located in Antigua, Barbados, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica and Mexico. If you stay at any of Marriott’s 8700 resorts you can rack up Bonvoy points to be used on an All Inclusive vacation.
Our President, Chris Russo, had the opportunity to sit down with Antoinette van den Berg, – VP Sales and Distribution Caribbean and All Inclusives with Marriott International at World Travel Market to get insights on what is happening with this rapidly growing segment of Marriott’s hotel portfolio.
- Chris: Hello Antionette, I hope you are enjoying the World Travel Market. Marriott entering the market has given a big boost to the perception of an All Inclusive vacation. I understand your loyalty program Bonvoy has over 177 million members who can now use their points at your all inclusive resorts. How many resorts does Marriott now have in their All Inclusive Portfolio?
- Antoinette: Hello Chris, thank you for taking time to chat with me. Right now Marriott currently has over 30 All Inclusive Resorts – with new openings on the horizon.
- Chris: With all those members in your Bonvoy program it would make sense that you are opening more resorts. What is the next resort Marriott is opening?
- Antoinette: The first Marriott Branded Hotel will be the Marriott Cancun Resort. It is currently going through a renovation to make the hotel fit the All Inclusive standard. The Hotel will be reopening in 2024, hopefully in the 1st quarter.
- Chris: Cancun is one of the largest, if not the largest, vacation destination for North American travelers. What is on the horizon for other new openings?
- Antoinette: We will have further announcements but currently we have a Marriott All Inclusive Puerto Vallarta and a 90 room Luxury Collection Adults Only Hotel on Isla Mujeres in the works. Also, for Europe we will have the Marriott Djerba in Tunisia.
- Chris: So your all inclusive reach is going overseas into Tunisia. We have noticed a number of other big all inclusive brands expanding into Europe and beyond. Being able to use Bonvoy points for all inclusives around the world is something that will provide enthusiasts with options expanding beyond the Caribbean and Mexico. What are some of the growth challenges you foresee in 2024?
- Antoinette: The biggest challenge is staffing. It is getting more and more difficult to find people to work at the resorts and keep the high level of service that Marriott Brand customers are used to receiving. Also, inflation! As goods and services go up we are constantly trying to make sure it does not affect the customer experience and cost of those wonderful experiences.
- Chris: Fortunately for Marriott Bonvoy members they can offset the cost of those experiences by using points. Tell us the importance of being a Marriott Bonvoy member!
- Antoinette: Our members get the best of both worlds as they can earn points with stays at any of our regular Marriott brands and now on vacation as well at the All Inclusive brands and of course redeem those points for all inclusive vacation stays now as well. It doesn’t cost anything to join but offers a myriad of great benefits.
- Chris: Our team here at Best All Inclusive look forward watching Marriott grow and expand. It is an exciting time in the world of all inclusives. Thank you Antoinette for taking time to update our readers on your growth plans. To learn more about All-Inclusive by Marriott Bonvoy go to Marriott All Inclusive Resort Portfolio
- Antoinette: Thank you Chris, I have enjoyed our time together.
Related:Marriott Expands All Inclusive Portfolio with 19 Blue Diamond Resorts
I’ll keep the sand warm for ya…..
~Jake
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P.S. Don’t miss 1 Marriott Buys Elegant Hotels: Barbados gets a Win
P.P.S Don’t miss 2 Marriott Jumps Into Curacao and Jamaica
“A vacation is what you take – when you can no longer take what you have been taking.”
Jake Johnson is a full-time travel bum, who prefers warm climates where the women wear less clothing.
We’ve tried to teach him things like manners and diplomacy, but we’ve given up and simply rely on our editors to remove the most offensive bits from his articles.
We take no responsibility for his inane ramblings opinions – they are his own.
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