In the last few months, we’ve seen some mega mergers in the hotel business.
Marriott bought Starwood for $12 billion and AccorHotels, the large French hotel group, is acquiring Fairmont and Raffles Hotels.
Similar to the airlines, there may be more mergers and consolidations ahead.
But what does this mean for you? Initially, not much.
But if you combine the brands of Marriott and Starwood, you come up with 21!
That number will surely be decreased, and some brands may disappear altogether.
It’s about efficiency of scale, and that scale is going to shrink.
If that happens, you may also see a decrease in the number of rooms at these brands, an increase in room rates, and almost inevitably, a decrease in the value of your frequent stay points as programs with different values and rules are combined.
That probably won’t happen for at least nine months, so you’ve been given a head start on redeeming your hotel loyalty points.
Whatever you do, don’t hoard them. Now is the time to use them before the rules change.
For more information about hotels and accommodations, check out:
- How to Avoid Hackers That Target Hotels
- Ways You Can Save on Hotel Rooms in Major Cities
- How to Stock Your Hotel Mini Bar with Healthy Food
Keep reading for more travel tips.
