I know this is old news now, but I only came to the realization that the Marriott-MGM partnership is delayed when I began working on my year-in-review post and noticed that we’re way past the announced “October” timeline of the tie-up. Unfortunately, information on the entire relationship remains limited, even as we approach the new launch window.
This past summer, MGM confirmed the much-rumored end to its relationship with Hyatt. However, filling the void was something no one saw coming – a long-term agreement with Marriott. Specifically, MGM Resorts International signed a 20-year licensing agreement that will see most of their properties join Marriott Bonvoy. As part of the agreement, participating properties will be bookable through Marriott’s various channels, while remaining available through MGM’s own, too. Elite members of both programs will also enjoy “select” reciprocal benefits, though details of those aren’t yet available.
Marriott-MGM Partnership is Delayed
If you’ve been paying attention (cuz I certainly haven’t been), you probably noticed long ago that the Marriott-MGM partnership is delayed. It was supposed to go into effect sometime in October, but it didn’t. Of course, many are attributing the delay, at least in part, to MGM’s massive cybersecurity meltdown this past September. And while I’m sure that painful incident contributed to the ongoing delay, I doubt a catastrophic event two weeks before the partnership was supposed to go into effect would’ve triggered a four-month (or longer) delay.
Yes, what happened to MGM back in September was significant and painful. Guests couldn’t even check in to MGM’s properties, and the whole ordeal reportedly cost them an estimated $100 million. However, the two weren’t even able to announce what reciprocal benefits would look like ahead of the originally scheduled launch, so I suspect things were already going off the rails before the attack.
What We Know Today
To recap the information we do know today, 16 of MGM’s properties in the U.S. will join Marriott in “early 2024.” What does this mean? It depends on what your definition of early is. So, aside from the fact that the Marriott-MGM partnership is delayed, it could mean we won’t see it go into effect until sometime in Q1 2024 or even in the first half of the year. Only time will tell what they actually mean. It’s also worth noting that 16 properties isn’t MGM’s entire U.S. portfolio. Properties that will be included are:
- Autograph Collection
- MGM Collection
- Beau Riviera Resort & Casino (Biloxi, Mississippi)
- Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa (Atlantic City, New Jersey)
- Excalibur Hotel & Casino
- Luxor Hotel & Casino
- Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
- MGM Grand Detroit (Detroit, Michigan)
- MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
- MGM National Harbor (Oxon Hill, Maryland)
- MGM Springfield (Springfield, Massachusetts)
- New York-New York Hotel & Casino
- NoMad Las Vegas
- The Signature at MGM Grand
- Vdara Hotel & Spa at ARIA Las Vegas
- The Luxury Collection
- Bellagio Resort & Casino
- Tribute Portfolio
- Park MGM Las Vegas
Absent from the above list is the Delano Las Vegas. Why this property wasn’t included isn’t clear. True, Delano Las Vegas is a partnership between MGM and Morgan Hotel Group, which was later sold to SBE and then Accor, but Delano Las Vegas doesn’t appear in Accor’s listings. Plus, MGM maintains full ownership of the property itself, which is part of the larger Mandalay Bay campus. So, maybe Delano will be grouped in with Mandalay Bay? After all, when you try to book a room at Mandalay today, you are given Delano rooms as an option, even though it’s listed as its own resort.
Of course, it’s also worth reminding that The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is already part of Marriott Bonvoy as an Autograph Collection property, as it always has been. Further, The Cosmo continues to maintain its own Identity loyalty program, though that will transition to MGM Rewards “sometime in 2024.”
It’s also worth noting that, in addition to the fact that the Marriott-MGM partnership is delayed, information on their sites now states that “several MGM Resorts destinations will be available for booking on Marriott’s robust digital platforms” in “early 2024.” Further, another point states, “[a]s each MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy destination completes its launch by early 2024, they will become available to book on Marriott booking channels.” Yeah, that sounds like it’s going to take a while for everything to come together.
Marriott-MGM Partnership is Delayed, Final Thoughts
Personally, it doesn’t matter to me that the Marriott-MGM partnership is delayed. I have little desire to return to Las Vegas, though, if I did, MGM Resorts properties are my preference. In that sense, I’m interested to see what benefits I’ll receive as a Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Platinum Elite, though I won’t hold my breath for anything worthwhile. It would be great if they’d let me status match to MGM Rewards Gold without the free meal benefit so I can avoid resort fees and have access to complimentary valet parking, but otherwise, I don’t really care. Upgrades are damn near impossible to get anyway.