MGM’s US casino hotels join Marriott Bonvoy after ending Hyatt partnership
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In what is a small coup for Marriott Bonvoy, and a blow for World of Hyatt, MGM Resorts International and Marriott International have announced the launch of ‘MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy’.
It covers 17 US hotels, mainly in Las Vegas, with a slightly ludicrous 40,000 rooms between them – an average of 2,350 per hotel!
Status ‘linking’ and points transfers will be available between Marriott Bonvoy and MGM Rewards.
The partnership replaces the current World of Hyatt deal. This will be a blow to many US members of World of Hyatt who used very cheap midweek Las Vegas stays to rack up their World of Hyatt status nights!
One MGM property, The Cosmopolitan, was already part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. It would be interesting to know how the performance of this property versus those sitting with Hyatt impacted the decision to switch partners.
13 hotels will join the new ‘MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy’ brand:
- 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
- Borgata (Atlantic City, New Jersey)
- Beau Rivage (Biloxi, Mississippi)
- MGM Grand Detroit (Michigan)
- MGM National Harbor (Maryland)
- MGM Springfield (Massachusetts)
The following four hotels will join other Marriott Bonvoy brands:
- Bellagio Resort & Casino will join The Luxury Collection (top image above)
- ARIA Resort & Casino will join Autograph Collection (second image above)
- Park MGM will become part of Tribute Portfolio
- The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will remain with Autograph Collection
Whilst only 17 hotels are involved, the sheer scale of them means that the deal increases Marriott’s global room count by 2.4%.
When will the new Bonvoy / MGM partnership launch?
It’s a little vague.
‘Several’ properties will become bookable, for cash or points, on marriott.com ‘beginning in October’.
All properties are expected to be bookable via Marriott channels by the end of the year.
MGM will continue to sell rooms directly via its own website so you should check pricing across both. It’s not clear if bookings via MGM channels will qualify for Marriott Bonvoy points or status credits.
How will the Marriott / MGM status match work?
It’s not clear yet, and it doesn’t seem to be a full status match.
The press release stays that members of MGM Rewards can link their account to Marriott Bonvoy and receive ‘select member benefits’.
It’s not clear which Marriott Bonvoy member benefits will be respected by MGM or whether you can receive status in MGM Rewards.
Marriott and MGM Rewads points transfers will be available
You will be able to exchange MGM Rewards points for Marriott Bonvoy points and vice versa. The transfer rate is not known.
Conclusion
This is an interesting deal for Marriott, and a bit of a blow for Hyatt.
It remains to be seen which Marriott Bonvoy benefits will be available via MGM. The sheer scale of Bonvoy means that there are likely to be literally hundreds of Bonvoy elites in each hotel each night.
A key Hyatt benefit – no resort fees (which are disproportionately high in Vegas) on stays by top tier members – won’t apply as this is not a standard Marriott Bonvoy feature.
You can find out more on this special page of the Marriott website.
How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (November 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.
Marriott Bonvoy American Express
20,000 points for signing up and 15 elite night credits each year Read our full review
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.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th January 2025, the sign-up bonus on The Platinum Card from American Express is increased to 80,000 Membership Rewards points. This converts into 120,000 Marriott Bonvoy points! The spend requirement is increased to £10,000 in three months for this offer. Click here to apply.
The Platinum Card from American Express
Huge 80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review
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)
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th January 2025, the sign-up bonus on ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is increased to 30,000 Membership Rewards points. This converts into 45,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Click here to apply.
and for small business owners:
- American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
- American Express Business Platinum (50,000 bonus Amex points)
The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.
(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.)
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