In 2016 Marriott bought Starwood to become the world’s largest hotel chain.

The integration has been gradual, but you you may have noticed big changes to Starwoods STARPRO rates – i.e. they no longer exist!

The good news is that ProLearning and STARPRO rates have been replaced by Marriott’s popular Hotel Excellence! platform and exclusive Fam-Tastic® discount rate. To quote from their Press Release:

“With Fam-Tastic rates, qualified travel professionals will be able to explore participating brands across the SPG® and Marriott Rewards® portfolio at a deeper discount than STARPRO rates. These rates are valid for one room with a maximum of four consecutive nights. With this announcement, Marriott will also expand partners’ access to the special rates by lifting the prior limit of five stays per year. Stays at the Fam-Tastic® discount rate will now be unlimited, subject to availability.

In addition, SPG Pro travel professionals will no longer earn Starpoints or eligible nights toward elite status for client bookings. For client bookings made on or before January 1, 2018, SPG Pro members will still earn Starpoints — even if the stay occurs after January 1, 2018. SPG® Pro members’ Starpoints balance will not go away, and the way they earn and redeem for both personal travel and any meetings and events bookings will remain the same.

Finally, SPG Pro meeting planners will continue to earn Starpoints and eligible nights toward elite status for booking meetings and events and third-party professional meeting planners will gain access to Marriott’s exclusive Plan-Tastic discount rates at participating brands across the SPG and Marriott Rewards portfolio. Similar to Fam-Tastic, these rates offer a deeper discount than STARPRO rates with unlimited bookings across the portfolio.”

It is worth noting that Marriott now own a staggering 30 different brands – from Moxy to Ritz Carlton. And it looks like almost all are offering Agent Discounts!

They have truly global reach – with Protea Hotels for example offering a great range of hotels throughout Africa – an oft ignored destination for Travel Industry rates. Here’s a random search for Cape Town next month offering a 50% discount on the public rates:

A reminder of Marriott’s brands:

Luxury Hotel Brands:
JW Marriott Hotels
The Ritz-Carlton
St. Regis Hotels & Resorts
EDITION Hotels
Bulgari Hotels & Resorts
The Luxury Collection
W Hotels

Premium Hotel Brands:
Delta Hotels
Marriott Hotels & Resorts
Marriott Vacation Club
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts
Le Méridien
Renaissance Hotels
Westin Hotels
Gaylord Hotels

Select Hotel Brands:
Courtyard by Marriott
Fairfield Inn by Marriott
Four Points by Sheraton
Protea Hotels by Marriott
SpringHill Suites by Marriott
AC Hotels by Marriott
Aloft Hotels
Moxy Hotels

Long Stay Hotel Brands:
Marriott Executive Apartments
Residence Inn by Marriott
TownePlace Suites
Element by Westin
Homes & Villas by Marriott International

Collections Hotel Brands:
Autograph Collection Hotels
Design Hotels
Tribute Portfolio

Deal Recap

Link: Marriott Travel Agents Site
Details:  You need to sign in with a valid IATA/TIDS/ARC or TIDS numbers. Once you have done this click on the ‘Promotions’ Tab which will give you access to agents rates.
Book By: Ongoing
Eligibility: Valid for travel agents. ID is required at check-in. We are checking for access for non-IATA Travel Agents.
Potential Savings: We believe savings of upto 50% are possible., but 30% is more common.
Ease Of Use: Straightforward