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You Can Now Track Select Airport Hotel Shuttles in the Marriott App

Aug. 07, 2019
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3 min read
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You Can Now Track Select Airport Hotel Shuttles in the Marriott App
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For anyone who frequents airport hotels, one of your biggest frustrations may be locating (or waiting for) the complimentary shuttle to a given property. You may frantically rush outside only to stand outside for 20 minutes — sweating or shivering — when you could've casually grabbed a snack or cup of coffee en route to your designated pick-up location. In some cases, travelers may forgo the free ride entirely and order an Uber or Lyft instead of attempting to deal with the headache.

Sensing these woes, one major program is moving in a direction to remove this confusion. As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, Marriott is now offering shuttle tracking at 15 of its hotels, with plans to roll out the availability to 200 total by year end. The new feature — which can be accessed via the Marriott app — offers patrons the ability to see exactly where a shuttle is located as well as its estimated arrival time and distance.

Unfortunately, this offer only extends to direct bookings, which is yet another blow in the battle between hotels and third-party booking sites. And much like the free breakfast offering at Hyatt Place, you must be a Marriott Bonvoy member in order to take advantage.

TPG reached out to Marriott for more information, and here's what a spokesperson said:



"Marriott International is rolling out the functionality to airport hotels after initially testing it last year at the Washington Dulles Marriott hotel near Washington DC’s Dulles airport and the Atlanta Airport Marriott hotel near Atlanta’s airport. The pilots generated positive feedback from hotel guests and staff."

Washington-Dulles (IAD) and Atlanta (ATL) — along with Baltimore (BWI) and Salt Lake City (SLC) — are the first four airports to offer this feature, though it sounds like Marriott has big plans for expanding this tracking capability. In addition to its eventual rollout to all its airport shuttles, the company added that guests should "expect to see the feature in the future being used beyond airport hotel shuttles — such as on-demand luxury car service, resort golf carts and shuttles to/from train/metro stations."

Those are some big plans but align with the trend we've seen of hotel programs leveraging technology to drive convenience for members and guests. If you're staying at one of the test properties, be sure to try this feature out on your next stay, as it just may save you that mad dash from baggage claim to the curb.

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  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.