Marriott-Rappi partnership goes live, signals new opportunities for customer acquisition

Five months after announcing what it described as an “industry-first strategic collaboration” with Rappi, Marriott’s integration with the Latin American super app is now live in Mexico.

The two brands said the partnership brings multiple benefits for their companies and for consumers.

Beginning today, users in Mexico that link their Marriott Bonvoy and Rappi Prime accounts will earn Bonvoy points for deliveries from Rappi - where customers can order everything from food to pet supplies to pharmacy products – and extra points if those deliveries are made to one of the 270 hotels affiliated with Marriott’s 21 brands in Mexico.

Bonvoy members will also be able to convert their loyalty points into Rappi credit to pay for deliveries and products in the app. And consumers with linked accounts that book their Marriott stay through the Rappi Travel platform will get access to special promotions and benefits.

“Modern travelers expect more than traditional loyalty program rewards. They crave personalized, memorable experiences that transcend primary offerings,” said Carlos Olguin, vice president of loyalty and Marriott International Alliances in the Caribbean and Latin America.

“At Marriott International, we are committed to evolving with these demands. The future of loyalty programs centers on personalization, innovative partnerships, tech integration, sustainability and lifestyle inclusion. We expand our services by meeting guest preferences and collaborating with non-hotel brands like Rappi.”

The collaboration also opens new channels of brand exposure for both Marriott Bonvoy and Rappi. 

“Super apps are a new platform for customer acquisition and loyalty for suppliers,” said Guido Becher, global head of travel for Rappi.

“It’s an opportunity to replace outlets of customer acquisition like Facebook, Google and other places brands go for travelers.”

Marriott Bonvoy currently has about 186 million members worldwide, and this partnership enhances visibility of the program among Rappi’s users, starting in Mexico where the app is present in more than 110 cities and has more than 1 million Prime members - about a third of the program’s total membership. 

Across Latin America, Rappi has more than 20 million active users across nine countries, and the two companies said the partnership will gradually roll out to those markets, starting with Colombia in November and then continuing into the remaining countries in the first quarter of 2024.

“We have aligned our strategies to make it attractive for users to sign up for Bonvoy and for Rappi Prime,” Becher said. 

Deeper into travel

For Rappi, the deal is also part of the company’s ambitious plans to become the single app that provides everything its users need – including travel.

The company created Rappi Travel in 2020, but development stalled due to the pandemic. In October 2022 efforts accelerated as Rappi announced a partnership with Amadeus, which provides the technology to power the platform that offers flights, accommodations, packages and car rentals.

Some of that content comes direct, such as this partnership with Marriott, but the majority is through partnerships with bedbanks, online travel agencies and consolidators.

“We aren’t going to repeat the sourcing others do for the time being,” Becher said.

“The actual strategy is to try to leverage what other companies have done and put it into a new interaction with users. So we are using bedbanks and OTAs for an important share of our content, but in countries where we are local and strong, and with relevant local and regional hotel brands, we make direct deals.”

The power of data

And then there’s the data.

Rappi knows that the data it has about its customers – which ones own pets and therefore may be interested in pet-friendly hotels, for example – is valuable to travel suppliers.

“Not only do we bring customers … we have the eyes of millions of users that have high frequency of usage. … We know where they open the app, if they move to different cities, other countries, if they order dog food, if they order diapers,” Becher said.

“That contextual data, where they are, their profile of purchases in different verticals, the type of credit cards – always respecting privacy – is very relevant for our partnerships. … Travel brands can come to us for users and to interact with users with data that is much more than a traditional OTA or marketplace where they mainly have their travel preferences or the search that they do. … Rappi Prime users order an average of four times a week – we have all those touch points and data compared to an OTA that you may have [purchases] once or twice a year.”

And Marriott recognizes that value, Olguin said.

“We are continuously working to enhance our customers’ experience. A priority is to give a voice to the customer through active and real-time listening, using analysis of data provided and creating and maintaining trust,” he said.

“The agreement with Rappi will allow us to collaborate on this journey and offer value together.”

Along with geographic expansion, Becher said the partnership and benefits for consumers will grow over time. For example, at launch consumers will earn points for ordering Rappi deliveries to Marriott hotels. In the future, he said Marriott hotels with restaurants will have the opportunity to offer food delivery through Rappi to users outside the hotel property.

And Becher sees even greater potential for personalization when Rappi Travel expands into experiences in the first quarter of 2024.

“Food and experiences are so linked,” he said.

“If I know your consuming preferences, where you live, where you travel, then when you open the app in a different country I could say ‘I know you’ve ordered tapas before, I can recommend a food tour.’”

For Rappi, this is the company’s first partnership with an international hotel chain. Marriott said this is its first collaboration with a multi-Latin technology company. The hospitality company does have a partnership with Uber and Uber Eats in the United States, enabling its users that link the two accounts to earn Bonvoy points for purchases through either platform.