Marriott Hotels Puts the World in Your Hands - Expands Mobile Check-in and Checkout for Marriott Rewards Members to Nearly 500 Hotels

BETHESDA, Md., May 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- For today's global traveler, their smartphone is what links them to their world.  To put even more power in the hands of travelers, Marriott Hotels, the flagship brand of Marriott International (NASDAQ: MAR) has expanded mobile check-in and checkout globally for Marriott Rewards members to nearly 500 hotels.  This means Marriott Rewards guests from London to Dubai to Shanghai to Mexico City to New York can simply check-in and checkout using the wildly popular Marriott Mobile app on their smartphone. First introduced last year at its hotels in the United States and Canada, Marriott Hotels mobile check-in and checkout is now available in every continent where its nearly 500 properties are located.*  

With the Marriott Mobile app, check-in and checkout is simple to use. Marriott Rewards members receive a push notification on their Apple iPhones or Android devices after 4 pm on the day before their arrival alerting them they can check-in. Then they receive an automatic notification when their room is ready. Because payment information is stored within members profiles, guests simply walk up to the expedited mobile check-in desk where their pre-programmed key card will be waiting for them.

At the end of their stays, guests receive a push notification alerting them mobile checkout is available. Upon completion, guests will then be prompted to provide an email address where their bill will be sent, allowing them to bypass the front desk.

"When we first began testing mobility, we went straight to the experts, our guests, who told us they wanted the power to check-in and checkout on their smartphones," said Paul Cahill, senior vice president of brand management for Marriott Hotels. "Among Millennials, nine out of ten who tried mobile check-in and checkout for the first time gave it high marks and said they would use it again for their next stay."

The Marriott Mobile app can be downloaded from the Apple iTunes Store, Google Play and by going to:  http://www.marriott.com/marriott/mobile-apps.mi. These sites also enable easy enrollment in the Marriott Rewards and travelers can learn more about mobility at Marriott Hotels at http://travel-brilliantly.marriott.com/.

The Marriott Hotels mobile innovation does not stop at check-in and checkout. For a glimpse into the future, 15 mobile "incubator" hotels in the U.S. are among the first in the industry enabling guests to text service requests, such as additional towels and pillows and valet service, and chat with the hotel's hosts in real time.  Marriott Hotels is on a journey of transformation to make travel brilliant. Other innovations include the fully re-designed Greatroom lobby that features an open and flexible lobby space for guests to use for business, leisure or time to themselves. Stylish, modern, comfortable and welcoming, the Greatroom lobby offers all day menus for light bites and meals and full access to technology from free Wi-Fi to electrical power points. Additionally, as the industry leader in hosting meetings, Marriott Hotels has introduced new concepts for the mobile worker including Meetings Imagined, the Meeting Services App (Red Coat Direct) and Workspace on Demand.

*Regulations in Armenia, France, Italy, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Spain and Turkey allow for mobile check-in but require guests to checkout with the front desk. Mobile check-in and checkout is not available in Japan.

About Marriott Hotels
With more than 500 hotels and resorts in nearly 50 countries around the world, Marriott Hotels is evolving travel through every aspect of the guest's stay, enabling the next generation to Travel Brilliantly. Boldly transforming itself for mobile and global travelers who blend work and play, Marriott leads the industry with innovations, including the Greatroom, Future of Meetings and Mobile Guest Services that elevates style & design and technology. All Marriott hotels participate in the award winning Marriott Rewards frequent travel program that allows members to earn hotel points or airline miles for every dollar spent during each stay. For more information, visit www.MarriottHotels.com.

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Visit Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) for company information. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com.

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SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.