BREAKING: Marriott International Acquiring Starwood Hotels & Resorts

Some big news today related to the meeting venues, lodging, and hospitality areas of the industry! 

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) announced today that the boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved a definitive merger agreement under which the companies will create the world's largest hotel company.

The transaction combines Starwood's leading lifestyle brands and international footprint with Marriott's strong presence in the luxury and select-service tiers, as well as the convention and resort segment, creating a more comprehensive portfolio. The merged company will offer broader choice for guests, greater opportunities for associates and should unlock additional value for Marriott and Starwood shareholders. Combined, the companies operate or franchise more than 5,500 hotels with 1.1 million rooms worldwide. The combined company's pro forma fee revenue for the 12 months ended September 30, 2015 totals over $2.7 billion.

For further details, see the full press release from Marriott International, Inc., on PR Newswire.

Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel Announces Incentive Offer to Event Planners

The Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel

The Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel, which specializes in conferences, conventions, and celebrations, has announced a special group booking package offer, available to meeting planners for a limited time: the Extraordinary Events in Palm Springs package, which includes the following features:

• One complimentary guest room per 40 booked, calculated cumulatively
• 10 percent discount on food and beverage
• Double Marriott Rewards event points
• Complimentary Internet access in guest rooms and meeting rooms
• Platinum Elite Status awarded to meeting planner (valid for one year)

Looking for Luxury Acccommodations for Your Trade Show Or Event? Rtiz-Carlton Tops Luxury Rankings in Study

If luxury accommodations are important consideration for your trade show, meeting, conference, exhibition, or special event, Ritz-Carlton should be tough to beat, based on the results of a new consumer research study.

A new study of luxury hotel brands was released yesterday by Luxury Branding, a highly reputed London-based consultancy, naming The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. as the world's most popular luxury hotel brand. 

The independent analysis of 2.25 million on-line consumer-generated reviews on TripAdvisor, ranked global luxury hotel brands for both consumer sentiment and consistency across the hotel portfolios.

"We are honored to receive this distinction atop an elite group of companies that focus on customer service excellence" said Herve Humler, President and Chief Operations Officer, The Ritz-Carlton. "We are a customer-centric organization which has been built on the feedback our guests afford us. We appreciate the external recognition of our efforts and the continued support of The Ritz-Carlton from global travelers."                                                                                                                

 

"The pole position for The Ritz-Carlton is testament to a truly remarkable level of consistency and proof positive of a deeply entrenched commitment to delighting guests wherever they operate. In the opinion of the paying guest, The Ritz-Carlton is without doubt the gold standard," said Piers Schmidt, Founder, Luxury Branding. "This resounding win and by a sizeable margin, which is all the more significant because the jewel in Marriott International's crown is one of the largest luxury operators in this study," he continued.   

 

To download the study visit Luxury Branding.

This recognition comes just two months after The Ritz-Carlton was named the top luxury brand for guest satisfaction in the J. D. Power 2015 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study. The hotel company topped its own highest rating from 2013 by an additional 11 points, bringing total points in 2015 to 892 out of a possible 1000. The Ritz-Carlton has achieved this recognition consistently for the past 7 out of 9 years, and currently has the highest ranking achieved to date by any luxury brand.