Skift Take
Marriott is poised to gain a significant early advantage in a nation where credit card payments enjoy widespread popularity. This strategic move is set to provide added momentum to the hotel chain's ambitious target of expanding to 250 hotels by 2025.
Marriott International has entered into a partnership with HDFC Bank in India to introduce the country's inaugural co-branded hotel credit card.
With a presence of 145 hotels across 16 distinct brands situated in 41 cities within India, Marriott stands as the largest hospitality entity in the nation, boasting the highest inventory of rooms.
At the core of Marriott's strategy lies Marriott Bonvoy, the hospitality behemoth's loyalty program that garners a remarkable 186 million members globally.
Talking to Skift at the launch on Thursday, Ranju Alex, the area vice president for South Asia at Marriott, said there are over 4.5 million Bonvoy members in India. The introduction of the co-branded credit card is anticipated to further add to this membership count.
Alex affirmed, “Loyalty stands as our paramount driving force for attracting guests to our hotels. We strive to continually foster engagement with them, ensuring their loyalty within an intensely competitive landscape.”