Marriott unveils digital tools to ease business travel planning, booking

Dive Brief:

• Marriott International launched Business Access by Marriott Bonvoy, an online program designed to ease the travel management process for small- to medium-sized businesses, the hotel company announced Tuesday. 
• The program, designed as a direct channel for small- to medium-sized businesses, provides digital tools to “satisfy business needs,” including live traveler data, real-time reporting and expense management, Marriott shared.  
• Featuring a “comprehensive suite of tools,” the program aims to “ease grievances among business travelers,” a Marriott spokesperson told Hotel Dive. In a recent survey commissioned by Marriott Bonvoy, 75% of business travelers reported experiencing frustrations with their current travel-booking platforms.

Dive Insight:

With Business Access by Marriott Bonvoy, companies can book hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio at a discounted rate while also earning points for future stays at participating hotels, room upgrades and other benefits, according to Marriott. 

The online booking tool also acts as a “one-stop shop,” enabling small- to medium-sized businesses to compare, book, manage and change Marriott Bonvoy hotel reservations within the same platform. 

The program provides real-time analytics to managers as well, giving insights on travel spend, sustainability and traveler behavior to help them make policy adjustments, Marriott said. And the platform’s travel insights tool allows managers to monitor the well-being and safety of employees on the move, the company said. 

Additionally, businesses that sign up for the program can utilize an expense management tool to submit payments with virtual credit cards.

With these tools, Business Access by Marriott Bonvoy aims to ease the travel management process for small- to medium-sized businesses, many of which report experiencing frustrations with their current travel booking platforms. 

According to a global survey of 1,500 business travelers at small- to medium-sized companies commissioned by Marriott Bonvoy and conducted by Wakefield Research, 56% of business travelers said their travel booking platforms are difficult to use. 

Meanwhile, some 27% of travelers surveyed said they are unhappy with the inability to book travel and hotels in the same place, and another 27% expressed disappointment with their platforms’ lack of integration with their travel expense programs.

Last fall, Hilton launched a travel program dedicated to small- to medium-sized companies, similarly designed to “solve long-running pain points” felt by business travelers, Chris Silcock, president of global brands and commercial services, said in an October statement. 

With loyalty and booking benefits akin to Marriott’s new program, Hilton for Business aims to “recognize and reward” business transient travelers, Hilton Vice President of Global Business Travel Sales Christiane Cabot Bini previously told Hotel Dive. 

Business Access by Marriott Bonvoy is powered by cloud-based travel technology provider Spotnana. The program is now available in the United States as well as Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America.