MGM cut its decade-old loyalty cooperation with Hyatt a few days ago, effective September 30, 2023. At the time, it was surprising because things did not seem to add up. Now, we have the other and more significant part of the puzzle.

Marriott & MGM tie up a long-term arrangement.

Today, Marriott and MGM Resorts announced their tie-up, an exclusive long-term strategic licensing agreement. It will launch in October 2023 with the formation of the MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy. The tie-up encompasses 17 properties across the United States, with over 40,000 guest rooms.

With the launch of this tie-up, over 180 million members of Marriott Bonvoy and over 40 million members will be able to enjoy reciprocal loyalty benefits, which will be revealed closer to the launch dates. For now, we know members of both programmes can exchange MGM Rewards points for Marriott Bonvoy points and vice versa.

Of the 17 MGM properties that are part of the MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy, four properties will be affiliated with existing Marriott brands:

• Bellagio Resort & Casino will join the Luxury Collection
• ARIA Resort & Casino will join the Autograph Collection
• Park MGM will become part of the Tribute Portfolio
• The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will continue to be affiliated with Autograph Collection

Another thirteen MGM resorts, including eight in Las Vegas, will join the MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy. These include:

• Las Vegas:
  • Vdara Hotel & Spa
  • MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
  • NoMad Las Vegas
  • The Signature at MGM Grand
  • Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
  • New York-New York Hotel & Casino
  • Luxor Hotel and Casino
  • Excalibur Hotel & Casino
• New Jersey
  • Borgata in Atlantic City
• Mississippi
  • Beau Rivage in Biloxi
• Michigan
  • MGM Grand in Detroit
• Maryland
  • MGM National Harbor
• Massachusetts
  • MGM Springfield

Beginning October 2023, several MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy resorts will be available for booking on Marriott’s digital platforms, including Marriott.com and the Marriott Bonvoy mobile app, with all properties expected to be available by the end of the year.

Picking Marriott over Hyatt is a decision grounded in commerce. Hyatt had the better programme, but Marriott had the better distribution. And eventually, while Hyatt is still primarily centred in the US, Marriott has been a global powerhouse, even more so since they absorbed Starwood Hotels. That means many customers, for instance, from my home market in India, will get the joys of status when visiting Vegas, unlike the tie-up with Hyatt before, which is just not as prevalent in India.

Bottomline

Marriott and MGM have announced a new partnership, which will launch in October 2023. Marriott will bring in 17 MGM properties as a part of Marriott Bonvoy, and four will join the existing Marriott brands. More details about the shape of the loyalty partnership will come to light as we come closer to the partnership being launched.

What do you think of the new Marriott & MGM partnership?

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