Marriott International and Groups360 have launched instant booking for Marriott's portfolio of hotels in the United States and Canada. The company is the first to have a direct integration with Groups360 to offer the "instant book" functionality for both guestrooms and meeting space at scale on GroupSync Marketplace, providing planners with a streamlined booking process.
GroupSync's direct integration with Marriott gives planners access to real-time best-available group rates and inventory at more than 1,500 Marriott properties across the United States and Canada, with additional growth expected throughout 2023. Once the instant booking is completed on GroupSync, hotels receive instant notification for faster handling and execution of small meetings. This new capability is meant to reduce planning time.
In addition, planners now can view inventory availability before submitting an RFP for more complex events at all Marriott hotels globally. The combination of these new capabilities turns the "sourcing" process into the "shopping" or "buying" process, simplifying the way planners book meetings.
"Through our collaboration with Groups360, we can now deliver real-time instant booking through GroupSync Marketplace at hotels in the U.S. and Canada," Drew Pinto, global officer, global sales, distribution and revenue management, Marriott International, said in a statement. "This offers our group customers what they have told us they are looking for, which is a much more seamless and efficient booking experience. Our ... integration with Groups360 will also allow all Marriott hotels globally to receive and respond to RFPs quickly and efficiently through a two-way response process. This will be a win-win for both planners and hotels."