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MGM Announces New Partnership with Marriott Bonvoy
In a shakeup to the Las Vegas Strip’s hotel scene, MGM and Marriott Bonvoy have announced a new pact that will go into effect this fall.
About the partnership:
Last week, MGM and Hyatt announced that their long-held partnership would be coming to an end after September 30th. Today, MGM and Marriott Bonvoy revealed a new partnership that will begin this October. Under this exclusive, long-term agreement, several MGM properties — to be known as the MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy — will be available to book via Marriott platforms. This collection includes eight Las Vegas properties as well as five MGM properties elsewhere in the United States. Meanwhile, four MGM locations will be added to existing Marriott collections, such as the Bellagio joining the Luxury Collection.
The new partnership also promises benefits for MGM and Marriott Bonvoy loyalty members. This will include reciprocal perks for MGM Rewards members staying at Marriott Bonvoy properties and for Bonvoy elites visiting MGM locations. Additionally, members will be able to exchange MGM Rewards points for Marriott Bonvoy points and vice versa. However, the companies stated that more information about linking accounts and other loyalty program benefits will be announced at a later date.
MGM’s relationship with Marriott Bonvoy actually began with the former company’s acquisition of The Cosmopolitan last year. At the time of the purchase, the hotel was affiliated with Marriott Bonvoy as part of their Autograph Collection where it has remained (and will remain) despite the MGM ownership and conflict with the previous Hyatt partnership.
What they’re saying:
Announcing the impacts of this new partnership, MGM Resorts president and CEO Bill Hornbuckle said, “This historic, long-term agreement brings together two of the most trusted and iconic brands in hospitality and entertainment. We’ve seen first-hand the strong demand from Marriott International customers through our existing relationship at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and this new agreement will enable us to further optimize our overall profitability.” Hornbuckle added, “We’re thrilled to now scale the relationship and offer Marriott Bonvoy members greater distribution access to our award-winning resorts – as well as exclusive event and entertainment opportunities – in Las Vegas and across the U.S.”
Meanwhile, Marriott International president and CEO Anthony Capuano said of working with MGM, “We are excited to make MGM Resorts’ incredible properties available on Marriott channels, allowing our members to enjoy Marriott Bonvoy benefits when they stay at MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy resorts. We look forward to increasing our global rooms distribution by 2.4% as we grow our presence on the Las Vegas Strip and in other compelling destinations across the U.S.”
My thoughts:
While I was sad to see MGM break off its partnership with Hyatt due to the status match merry-go-round that the deal offered, this new partnership could provide an even better opportunity for some credit card customers. Although the specifics aren’t quite clear yet, it appears as though Marriott Bonvoy and MGM Rewards customers will be able to status match to some degree — which is key since the American Express Platinum card includes complimentary Bonvoy Gold status. Of course, we’ll need to wait and see what (if anything) will match in terms of the MGM Rewards tier as there’s no guarantee that Gold will mean Gold. Should that be the case, suddenly the Bonvoy Brilliant card looks more interesting thanks to its automatic Platinum status and a bevy of other perks. If nothing else, though, this should mean that Amex customers will be able to turn their Membership Rewards points into Bonvoy points that can then be redeemed for MGM points, which is also an interesting prospect.
Overall, for travelers, MGM, and Marriott Bonvoy alike, this is an interesting partnership that will hopefully prove fruitful.
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