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Every now and then, something crosses my desk that makes me stop and think. Today, it was a LinkedIn post where Marriott’s CEO hinted that the hotel giant might be wading into the airport lounge wars.
Wait. What?
Now, you’re probably thinking, why would Marriott, a hotel brand, want to get into the airport lounge game? I’m wondering the same thing. So, let’s explore what that might look like.
Marriott Exploring Adding Airport Lounges
Airport lounges are all the rage these days, and it seems Marriott is considering getting in on the action. The idea surfaced during an interview between Marriott’s CEO, Anthony Capuano, and Skift’s CEO, Rafat Ali.
In the conversation, Ali asked whether Marriott had ever considered entering the airport lounge business. Capuano’s response?
“I had my senior leadership strategy retreat this summer, and it was one of the topics that came up as really interesting. It’s an intriguing thing.”
And the reasoning makes sense when you think about it. Marriott wants to engage with travelers beyond the moments they check into a hotel or resort. As Capuano put it, “There’s an opportunity to have more touch points throughout the travel journey.”
So, can we expect to see Marriott-branded airport lounges in the future? Maybe.
Related: Marriott Bonvoy® Rewards Program Guide: Everything You Need To Know
What Might a Marriott Airport Lounge Look Like?
If there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that building an airport lounge takes a lot of work. Just ask any credit card issuer that’s opened one recently or is in the process of building one now. There’s an immense amount of legwork involved at every step, from deciding which airports make sense to securing space to designing, building, and eventually staffing the lounge.
In other words, a proprietary Marriott-branded airport lounge sounds far-fetched.
However, getting into the airport lounge action isn’t entirely out of the question. There’s actually a clear path forward. In his interview with Skift, Capuano mentioned that Marriott is considering whether to pursue lounges independently or in partnership with credit card companies.
Given Marriott’s existing relationships with Chase and American Express, the latter seems like the more logical route.
Perhaps a new lounge access benefit could be on the horizon for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. Something like an annual allotment of visits to Delta Sky Club® locations or Centurion® Lounges would make perfect sense. This is Marriott’s most premium card, and expanded lounge access would be a natural complement to its existing Priority Pass Select membership.
Related: Upgrade Your Travel Experience: Best Travel Credit Cards With Lounge Access
Bottom Line
Marriott airport lounges — even the idea of them — probably isn’t something any of us had on our bingo cards. But if Marriott wants to find new ways to engage guests throughout their entire travel experience, this concept actually makes sense.
What it might look like, though, is still unclear. There could, however, be a blueprint by tapping into the brand’s existing credit card partnerships. We'll just have to wait and see what comes of this.
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