Marriott And Mall Operator Macerich Promote Shopping Trips

Marriott is acknowledging what many travelers and tourists already know: the most important part of any trip is often the shopping.

This week Marriott, the giant hotel chain whose brands include Sheraton, Courtyard, W and dozens of others as well as its namesake flagship, sent out emails to its members promoting its “Shop & Sip with Marriott Bonvoy” program that offers tie-ins with shopping centers owned by mall operator Macerich MAC . “Enjoy two complimentary cocktails and unlock hundreds in savings at Macerich Shopping centers across the U.S. when you book your stay at any participating Marriott hotel.”

A total of 20 different Macerich centers are part of the promotion including some of the best-known malls in the country such as Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix, Santa Monica Place in California, Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, NY and Tysons Corner Center just outside Washington, DC. Six of the 20 properties are in Arizona while the Philadelphia promotion is dubbed “Shop ‘til You Drop in Philly.”

“What better way to welcome the start of the fall season than with a shopping spree. Book your stay at a participating Marriott from now through December 31, 2021, and take advantage of our Shop, Sip and Stay packages,” the email messaging says.

While it’s not clear if this is the first time a hotel operator has connected with a shopping center company it is not a common tie-in and reflects the challenges both sectors are having bringing back customers during the pandemic era. Hotels have been devastated by Covid and the decline in both business and leisure travel although occupancy rates started to come back this past summer until the Delta variant once again reduced activity.

Shopping centers were having troubles even before Covid with the decline of their department store anchors but the pandemic conditions put a further hit on their traffic, particularly indoor facilities. Interestingly, a number of the Macerich properties in the program are outdoor or urban streetscape centers.

Even though vacationers look for glamorous places to stay with fabulous swimming pools, great restaurants and nice amenities, there’s no denying that shopping has become a prime activity on most trips, whether they are to big cities or luxury resorts.

That’s what Marriott and Macerich are counting on.