With much hype (and a lot of waiting) Marriott Bonvoy is here. It’s the merged loyalty program name for Marriott, Starwood Preferred Guest, and Ritz-Carlton Rewards.
Marriott merged its three loyalty programs in August 2018, but they decided to wait until early 2019 to reveal the new combined name.
Marriott Bonvoy
Bonvoy is Marriott’s new loyalty program, and it launches on February 13, 2019. That’s the date the new logo and branding will appear across websites, properties, and other “customer touch-points”
The company also plans to begin a multi-million dollar global media campaign beginning in late February.
To date, Marriott has over 6,700 properties in 129 countries and territories around the world, and 120 million members.
For the company’s experiences, Marriott Rewards Moments and SPG Moments will become Marriott Bonvoy Moments on the launch date.
“Marriott Bonvoy marks an evolution in travel because it represents more than a loyalty program,” said Stephanie Linnartz, Global Chief Commercial Officer, Marriott International in a release.
The Bonvoy Logo
Linnartz called the new logo “simple, modern and bold,” adding that Marriott Bonvoy is “welcoming and optimistic.”
The new branding logo incorporates a color palette of black, white, and orange. Like other recent loyalty rebrands (Hyatt), the logo is more text-based than previous versions.
Marriott has been working with Mother Design for two years on the rebranding, according to AdAge.
New Elite Tiers
The launch of Marriott Bonvoy will introduce two new names for previous elite status tier names.
- Titanium Elite will replace Platinum Premier Elite for members who surpass 75 nights.
- Ambassador Elite will replace Platinum Premier Elite with Ambassador. This top Elite status tier recognizes members who surpass 100 nights and more than $20,000 in spend annually.
Mobile Apps
Users of Marriott’s mobile apps will have only one choice after the launch date. The current Marriott app will be automatically updated to Marriott Bonvoy on February 13, 2019. The SPG and Ritz-Carlton Rewards apps will be deactivated on that date.
The Future of Marriott
If you’ve looked even once through the travel forums and comments out there lately, you might think Marriott’s decision was sure to doom the company.
But something like that can’t be predicted, especially not at this scale.
Marriott says Bonvoy is built on the belief that travel enriches its members and the world around them. Leaders hope to inspire people to pursue their passions in travel.
As far as loyalty goes, 2019 will be a telling year for the company. Especially as more travelers describe themselves as brand-agnostic in research.
Building on the new brand, Marriott recently launched new social media channels under the new loyalty name. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
For me, it makes sense that Marriott would begin integration of all three programs first, while finalizing a new brand name at a later date. It’s no easy task to combine millions of members from different programs.
Meanwhile, Marriott’s airline transfer partners are still available at their current rates.
Here is a promotional video featuring the new program from Marriott.
What do you think about Marriott’s new brand change? Does anything make you want to stay or switch to another program? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Featured image of The Miami Edition courtesy of Marriott.
