Marriott adds 19 all-inclusive beach resorts in one deal, bookable this Summer

Marriott has made no secret of its desire to push into the ‘all inclusive’ resort sector. As well as being a profitable niche in its own right, ‘all inclusive’ resorts are popular with Marriott Bonvoy members.

Whilst Marriott has substantially increased the number of aspirational Bonvoy redemptions since it acquired Starwood, some people are reluctant to redeem at high end hotels due to the cost of food and drink.

The strategy is that a strong ‘all inclusive’ portfolio will encourage Bonvoy members to spend more across all Marriott hotels in order to earn points for a redemption.

Marriott adds 19 resorts to its ‘Autograph’ brand

Under a deal announced today, Marriott is adding 19 resorts across the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico.

This includes Antigua and St Lucia, where Marriott has no properties at the moment.

The resorts are all operated by Sunwing Travel, the Canadian hospitality group. The deal covers 7,000 rooms in total.

18 of the hotels are expected to join Marriott’s ‘Autograph’ brand by ‘mid 2021’. Here is the list:

Mexico

• 840-room Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa
• 343-room Hideaway at Royalton Riviera Cancun
• 566-room Planet Hollywood Beach Resort Cancun
• 332-room Planet Hollywood Adults Scene Cancun
• 457-room Royalton CHIC Suites Cancun Resort & Spa

Dominican Republic

• 730-room Royalton Bavaro Resort & Spa
• 320-room Royalton CHIC Punta Cana Resort & Spa
• 525-room Royalton Splash Punta Cana Resort & Spa
• 317-room Royalton Punta Cana Resort & Casino
• 168-room Hideaway at Royalton Punta Cana

Jamaica

• 352-room Royalton White Sands Montego Bay
• 228-room Royalton Blue Waters Montego Bay
• 140-room Hideaway at Royalton Negril
• 407-room Royalton Negril Resort & Spa

St. Lucia

• 290-room Royalton Saint Lucia Resort & Spa
• 166-room Hideaway at Royalton Saint Lucia

Antigua

• 294-room Royalton Antigua Resort & Spa (picture above)

Costa Rica

• 294-room Planet Hollywood Beach Resort Costa Rica

Conclusion

Heaven knows what a ‘Planet Hollywood’ beach resort is like – the ‘Planet Hollywood Adult Scene Cancun’ resort is potentially not going to be top of your list for 2022.

In a similar vein, you need to ask how this hotel is meant to sit alongside hotels like The University Arms in Cambridge as an ‘Autograph’ high end boutique property.

However, the Royalton brand has more cache and there are some decent options here. It will be interesting to see how Marriott Bonvoy prices them for points, and indeed how the move to Marriott changes the mix of guests from package tourists to direct bookers.

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How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (April 2024)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.  We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (40,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points. 

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)