Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) - One of Marriott International's Loyalty Programs --- Further Elevates The Member Experience Through Mobile Check-In

News provided by

Jun 01, 2017, 10:30 ET

BETHESDA, Md., June 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning today, Starwood Preferred Guest® (SPG®), an award-winning loyalty program that is part of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR), is launching SPG Mobile Check-In for members at 22 hotels in the United States. More hotels will begin offering this feature exclusively on the SPG Mobile app with the global rollout completed by the end of 2017.

Marriott first launched mobile check-in, checkout and room ready alerts in 2013. It is now available at all hotels that were in the Marriott portfolio before the company's acquisition of Starwood Hotels and Resorts.* Marriott is now beginning to offer these convenient app features for SPG members checking in at Westin, Sheraton, St Regis, Four Points, Le Meridien, Tribute Portfolio and The Luxury Collection hotels. Enhancing and personalizing guests mobile experience is a focus for Marriott as more than half of smartphone owners use their devices for travel-related activities.**

"Mobile check-in is incredibly popular among our Marriott Rewards members with more than 200,000 check-ins occurring each week and that's why we wanted to extend this convenient app feature to SPG members as well," said David Flueck, Senior Vice President for Global Loyalty, Marriott International. "Mobile check-in is another example of how we are taking the best of our loyalty programs to make the travel experiences for all of our 100 million members even better, with unmatched benefits and services rolled out at scale."

For SPG, its mobile journey began with SPG Keyless - the industry's first mobile keyless entry system which is now available at all Aloft, Element & W hotels. The convenience of using your mobile device as your room key is also coming to 500 hotels this year participating in the Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards programs. There will be no change for SPG members checking-in to Aloft, Element & W hotels offering SPG Keyless.

The new mobile check-in feature is available exclusively for members who have downloaded the SPG mobile app and booked their stays directly with SPG on its website or in the app. Members will receive a notification approximately 48 to 72 hours before their stay asking if they would like to check-in using the SPG app. On the day of arrival, a notification will be sent to their mobile device alerting them that their room is ready and their key is waiting for them at the front desk, and when they checkout using the SPG app, their folio will be emailed to them. With the SPG app, members can also Make A Green Choice® and request early check-in as well. SPG Elite members already enjoy the convenience of requesting a late check-out in the app and Platinum Elite members can choose their preferred arrival gift.

The first hotels offering SPG Mobile Check-in include:

· The St. Regis Aspen Resort	· Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf Hotel
· The Gwen, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Chicago	· Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel, Virginia
· The Liberty, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Boston	· Sheraton Reston Hotel, Virginia
· Avenue of the Arts Costa Mesa, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel	· Sheraton Baltimore Washington Airport Hotel
· Le Méridien Arlington, Virginia	· Sheraton Denver Tech Center Hotel
· The Westin Copley Place, Boston	· Sheraton Seattle Hotel
· The Westin Reston Heights, Virginia	· Sheraton Baltimore North Hotel
· The Westin Baltimore Washington Airport	· Four Points by Sheraton Seattle Airport South
· The Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites, Los Angeles	· Four Points by Sheraton Wakefield Boston Hotel & Conference Center
· The Westin Washington Dulles Airport	· Four Points by Sheraton Boston Logan Airport
· Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina	· Four Points by Sheraton Downtown Seattle Center

There is more to come with the SPG app, including features allowing members to further personalize their stay and greater choice and convenience in interacting with hotel associates. Next up will be the introduction of Mobile Requests in 2018, which is already available at 4,000 hotels in the Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards portfolios. Members will be able to choose from a list of the most requested services and amenities, and text directly with hotel associates before, during and after their stays to make special requests.

For more information on SPG Mobile Check-In, please visit: spg.com/mobileapps

Since Marriott's acquisition of Starwood last year, members of Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards – which is part of Marriott Rewards – and SPG programs have been able to link their accounts at members.marriott.com to access unparalleled benefits such as instant status matching and unlimited points transfer between programs that can be used to unlock a plethora of unique experiences across Marriott's portfolio of global brands.

*Regulations in Armenia, France, Italy, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Spain and Turkey allow for Mobile Check-In, but require guests to check-out with the front desk.

**Google, "How people use their phones for travel" (October 2016)

About Starwood Preferred Guest

Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG®) is an innovative, award-winning frequent traveler program that unites 11 luxury and distinctive hotel brands in more than 1,300 properties in 95 countries and territories around the world. SPG reinvented the hospitality loyalty landscape when it launched in 1999 with its breakthrough policy of no blackout dates, and over the years has continued its tradition of innovation with enhancements such as Cash + Points, Your24™, SPG Lifetime™, SPG Moments and 4 p.m. late checkout when available. SPG also offers the opportunity for meeting and travel professionals to earn rich rewards including Starpoints and elite status through SPG Pro. SPG has an ongoing commitment to meeting the needs of today's connected global traveler by leveraging must-have mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android that utilize state-aware technology to create a more personalized hotel stay. All of this has helped SPG build a passionate member base among the world's most frequent travelers. Learn more about the #spglife at spg.com,spg.com/pro and spg.com/moments and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. SPG members can now also link their accounts with Marriott Rewards® - which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® - for instant elite status matching and unlimited points transfer at spg.com/Marriott.

About Marriott Rewards

Marriott International's award-winning loyalty program – Marriott Rewards – spans 18 unique and iconic global brands and over 4,500 distinctive properties. Members of Marriott Rewards® – which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® – can link their accounts with Starwood Preferred Guest® at members.marriott.com for expanded benefits including instant elite status matching and unlimited points transfer across portfolios. When members book their stays on Marriott.com or the Marriott Mobile app, they earn loyalty points, enjoy the advantage of exclusive Member Rates, our lowest available rates, and gain an elevated stay experience with free Wi-Fi, mobile check-in and checkout, and Mobile Service Requests wherever available. The hugely popular Marriott Rewards has won the Freddie Award for "Hotel Program of the Year–Americas" nine consecutive years as chosen by frequent travelers. Marriott Rewards is free to join and has no blackout dates. To enroll and for more information about the program, guests may visit. Connect with Marriott Rewards on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Marriott International, Inc.
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of more than 6,100 properties in 30 leading hotel brands spanning 122 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company also operates award-winning loyalty programs: Marriott Rewards®, which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards®, and Starwood Preferred Guest®. For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on Twitter and Instagram.

SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.