MARRIOTT Hotel International has become the first major global hotel chain to sign an agreement with Alitrip, an independent online travel booking platform previously known as Taobao Travel, to allow users to book rooms through a directly operated online flagship store.
“With 19 Marriott International brands, including JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton and Marriott Hotels, and over 4,000 hotels available through Alitrip, Chinese travellers will see a major increase in the number of rooms they can book through Alitrip,” said Craig S Smith, president and managing director of Marriott International, Asia Pacific.
Both parties are also looking to enhance user experience with the “Post Post Pay” service by Alitrip, which allows qualified customers to reserve rooms without paying a deposit and enjoy express checkout service.
This partnership was announced just two months following an agreement between Marriott International and Ant Financial Services Group to roll out Alipay to Marriott International’s hotels and resorts.
