NATIONAL REPORT—As part of a new agreement signed in April 2019, Expedia Group will become the exclusive global optimized distributor of Marriott’s wholesale rates, availability and content to a network of global travel providers, effective October 15, 2019.
With the launch of the optimized distributor model, Marriott is introducing changes to how it approaches the redistribution of the company’s wholesale rates and availability among third-party travel providers. Through this agreement, Marriott will leverage Expedia Group’s technology and enterprise-level service to create a single gateway for the redistribution of Marriott’s wholesale inventory.
The optimized distribution model, provided by Expedia Group’s B2B arm, Expedia Partner Solutions, will eliminate the complexity and inefficiency of today’s wholesale redistribution model for Marriott hotels, according to the companies. This single gateway solution will also provide a consistent and reliable shopping experience for travelers, ensuring accurate display of hotel descriptions, room rates and fees through known and trusted third-party travel providers.
This new solution unlocks the power and scale of Expedia Group’s technology through one point of access and uniform technology for all Marriott hotels worldwide, which will enable Marriott to more efficiently manage its wholesale redistribution, according to the companies. Redistributors will no longer receive access to Marriott rates and inventory directly from Marriott, but may contract with Expedia Partner Solutions to obtain access, provided such redistributors comply with Marriott’s distribution standards. Tour operators who access wholesale rates from Marriott directly continue to have this option, in addition to leveraging Expedia Partner Solutions as the optimized distributor for Marriott International wholesale rates. For Marriott hotels, the new optimized distribution model will reduce the cost, complexity and consumer issues associated with the current redistribution marketplace.
“At Marriott, our highest priorities include enhancing service and transparency for consumers while driving profitability for owners and franchisees,” said Brian King, global officer of digital, distribution, revenue strategy and global sales, Marriott International. “With this truly innovative solution from Expedia Group, we can increase our reach to leisure travel providers while solving distribution challenges and improving profitability for our hotels around the world.”
“We believe in unlocking the power of the Expedia Group platform for our partners so that they can benefit from our significant investments in technology, support services and industry expertise,” said Christian Gerron, SVP, enterprise solutions, Expedia Partner Solutions, Expedia Group. “This agreement with Marriott International is a great example of putting this ethos into practice.”