All-Inclusive Resorts Join Marriott Autograph Collection

In 2019, Marriott announced plans to significantly grow its portfolio of all-inclusive properties. With this initiative, we’ll see new properties built, and also see existing properties converted into Marriotts. All-inclusive properties will span many of Marriott’s brands, including Ritz-Carlton, Luxury Collection, Marriott, Westin, W, Autograph Collection, and Delta by Marriott.

In early 2021, Marriott announced its most significant all-inclusive expansion yet. These resorts have now officially joined Marriott Bonvoy, allowing members to earn and redeem points.

Marriott’s Blue Diamond Resorts franchise agreements

Marriott’s collection of all-inclusive resorts has more than doubled, thanks to a new franchise agreement that has seen 20 properties added:

• This is being done thanks to a new agreement with Sunwing Travel Group’s hotel division, Blue Diamond Resorts; yes, that’s the same Sunwing as the Canadian ultra low cost carrier
• With this, we’re seeing 20 new all-inclusive properties totaling over 7,000 rooms across seven destinations
• With this agreement, Marriott is now one of the 10 largest all-inclusive players in the world

The 20 resorts that have joined Marriott Autograph Collection

With this agreement, we’ve now seen 20 all-inclusive resorts join Marriott’s Autograph Collection, allowing Bonvoy members to earn and redeem points for stays at these properties. Let’s first go over the hotels, including their Marriott Bonvoy redemption categories.

The following five resorts in Mexico have joined Marriott’s Autograph Collection:

• Planet Hollywood Cancun, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort; Category 7 Marriott Bonvoy property
• Planet Hollywood Adults Scene Cancun, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort – Adults Only; Category 7 Marriott Bonvoy property
• Royalton CHIC Cancun, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort – Adults Only; Category 7 Marriott Bonvoy property
• Royalton Riviera Cancun, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort & Casino; Category 7 Marriott Bonvoy property
• Hideaway at Royalton Riviera Cancun, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort – Adults Only; Category 7 Marriott Bonvoy property

The following five resorts in the Dominican Republic have joined Marriott’s Autograph Collection:

• Royalton Bavaro, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort & Casino; Category 7 Marriott Bonvoy property
• Royalton CHIC Punta Cana, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort & Casino – Adults Only; Category 8 Marriott Bonvoy property (this hotel is only joining Marriott in 2022)
• Royalton Punta Cana, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort & Casino; Category 7 Marriott Bonvoy property
• Hideaway at Royalton Punta Cana, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort & Casino – Adults Only; Category 7 Marriott Bonvoy property
• Royalton Splash Punta Cana, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort & Casino; Category 7 Marriott Bonvoy property

The following five resorts in Jamaica have joined Marriott’s Autograph Collection:

• Grand Lido Negril Au-Naturel, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort – Adults Only; Category 8 Marriott Bonvoy property
• Royalton Blue Waters Montego Bay, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort; Category 7 Marriott Bonvoy property
• Royalton Negril, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort; Category 7 Marriott Bonvoy property
• Hideaway at Royalton Negril, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort – Adults Only; Category 7 Marriott Bonvoy property
• Royalton White Sands Montego Bay, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort; Category 7 Marriott Bonvoy property

The following two resorts in Saint Lucia have joined Marriott’s Autograph Collection:

• Royalton Saint Lucia, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort; Category 8 Marriott Bonvoy property
• Hideaway at Royalton Saint Lucia, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort – Adults Only; Category 8 Marriott Bonvoy property

The following resort in Antigua has joined Marriott’s Autograph Collection:

• Royalton Antigua, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort & Casino; Category 8 Marriott Bonvoy property

The following resort in Costa Rica has joined Marriott’s Autograph Collection:

• Planet Hollywood Costa Rica, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort; Category 7 Marriott Bonvoy property

The following resort in Grenada has joined Marriott’s Autograph Collection:

• Royalton Grenada, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort; Category 8 Marriott Bonvoy property

Earn & redeem Marriott Bonvoy points at all-inclusives

These new all-inclusive properties are fully participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program:

• You can earn & redeem Bonvoy points for stays at these resorts
• You can take advantage of Marriott Bonvoy elite perks; Marriott Bonvoy member benefits for all-inclusives include member rates, resort discounts, room upgrades based on availability, complimentary massages, access to exclusive areas of the property, weekly member cocktail parties, and more, all depending on the property and a member’s elite status
• Bonvoy members earn 10x points per dollar spent at all-inclusives, not accounting for elite bonuses or credit card spending bonuses
• Bonvoy members can redeem points at all-inclusives per the published award chart, and the points requirements are based on double occupancy (which is different than paid rates, where the cost is different depending on whether there are one or two guests)

As you can see, all of these new properties fall into Marriott Bonvoy’s Category 7 & 8, which are the two highest categories. For context, here’s the Marriott Bonvoy award chart:

Based on that:

• Personally I value Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, to give you a sense of how much award stays here “cost” in terms of value
• Category 7 Bonvoy stays cost 50,000-70,000 points per night, depending on whether the night is off-peak, standard, or peak (the equivalent of paying ~$350-490)
• Category 8 Bonvoy stays cost 70,000-100,000 points per night, depending on whether the night is off-peak, standard, or peak (the equivalent of paying ~$490-700)
• Bonvoy members get a fifth night free on award redemptions

Just comparing cash rates to points rates (based on double occupancy), I can’t say the points value is looking particularly good here. Maybe the math works out better for stays over very high demand periods.

Marriott now has a nudist resort

Perhaps the most interesting development here is the addition of Grand Lido Negril in Jamaica, which is an “au-naturel” resort, for those looking for a more “liberated” experience. Are you ready, fellow Bonvoy members?!

I don’t get Marriott’s branding choices

More hotel options are generally a good thing. Some people swear by all-inclusives, so it’s nice that you can now earn and redeem Bonvoy points, as well as take advantage of elite benefits, for stays at these properties.

However, Marriott’s choice of branding here sure reinforces to me how the brand is focused on growth over quality. Can anyone explain to me how it makes sense that these properties are joining Autograph Collection? This is allegedly Marriott’s upper upscale luxury brand of independent hotels.

Here are a few of the ways Marriott describes Autograph Collection on its website:

“We handpick boutique hotels from around the world that share a passion for originality and a philosophy of attention to detail in their every expression.”

“Each hotel in our collection is inspired by a clear vision, soul, and story. These visions power elements so impactful that you can feel the devotion in every sinew of the experience.”

“We believe that beauty without heart is meaningless. This is why our hotels bring a thoughtfulness and purpose to their design. In each of our spaces, these elements come together to tell the story of the hotel, bringing a tactile and emotional satisfaction about it too.”

“You won’t need to leave your hotel to feel a sense of time and place. We handpick hotels that are intimately connected to their surroundings – and, in turn, become part of the locality’s fabric.”

I have some questions:

• Are Planet Hollywood all-inclusive resorts considered upper upscale and luxury?
• Is an 840-room all-inclusive in Cancun considered boutique?
• Please tell me more about Planet Hollywood’s “soul and story,” and about the elements that are “so impactful that you can feel the devotion in every sinew of the experience”
• Tell me more about how “you won’t need to leave your hotel to feel a sense of time and place,” and how these hotels have been handpicked because they are “intimately connected to their surroundings”
• How do owners of Autograph Collection properties that are actually boutique, independent, and upper upscale, feel about now being part of the same collection as these all-inclusive properties?

Again, let me emphasize that I’m all for Marriott expanding into the affordable all-inclusive market, since it will appeal to many, and will be a good opportunity to earn and redeem points. What I can’t wrap my head around is why this can’t be done with more appropriate branding.

Bottom line

Marriott has added 20 all-inclusive properties to its portfolio, thanks to a new franchise agreement with Sunwing and Blue Diamond Resorts. These mega-resorts will no doubt appeal to many, and I’d consider it a net-positive that Marriott Bonvoy members can now earn and redeem points here, as well as take advantage of elite benefits.

My biggest issue is how Marriott chooses to brand these as Autograph Collection properties. Marriott has over 30 brands already, and somehow it still can’t actually brand new additions in a way that reflects what’s being offered.

What do you make of Marriott’s all-inclusive expansion?