Marriott International has achieved a breakthrough milestone of fifty active property openings in under six months through its strategic partnership with Concept Hospitality Private Limited and The Fern Hotels and Resorts. The innovative 'Series by Marriott' collection merges the deep heritage of locally recognized hospitality groups with Marriott's global reservation engine, targeting the modern concept of the 'global domestic' traveler who seeks localized experiences with baseline quality control. The fifty operational properties cover forty-three cities across varying socioeconomic tiers, with notable flagship properties including The Fern Mumbai in Goregaon, The Fern Habitat Goa in Candolim, Rakabi The Fern Igatpuri, and The Fern Residency Bengaluru in Seshadripuram. This expansion creates an incredible opportunity for travelers to experience true regional heritage without sacrificing modern travel comforts.
Dining has become the biggest driver of travel loyalty across Asia Pacific, overtaking sightseeing and shopping as the primary motivation for hotel loyalty participation. According to the latest Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty Trends Report 2026, 63% of travelers across APEC prioritize culinary experiences on their trips, signaling the importance of F&B-related earn and redemptions in the hotel loyalty space. This shift reflects how travelers, especially in Singapore and Japan, are increasingly choosing hotel loyalty programmes through experiential and value propositions in the dining space. The report surveyed 1,731 travelers across eight markets: Singapore, Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, revealing a broader shift in how hotel loyalty is being defined beyond free stays or elite status.
Indian travelers have emerged as some of Asia Pacific's most loyalty-driven consumers, with 93% participating in at least one loyalty program, according to the 2026 Loyalty Trends Report by Marriott Bonvoy. This makes India the second-highest participation market in the Asia Pacific excluding China (APEC) region. The report reveals that 73% of Indian travelers engage with multiple loyalty programs, while only 4% rely solely on hotel-only loyalty ecosystems. This demonstrates Indian consumers' preference for interconnected rewards ecosystems linking hotels, banking, dining, shopping, travel, and lifestyle spending. The direct integration of the fifty operational Fern properties into the award-winning Marriott Bonvoy travel program ensures guests can earn loyalty points seamlessly through contactless check-ins, keyless room entry, and tailored room personalization.
Indian travelers are redefining hotel loyalty across Asia by prioritizing experiences over traditional savings. According to the report, 41% of Indian travelers remain active in loyalty programs because they provide access to exclusive experiences, making them among the region's strongest demand drivers for premium events and curated travel experiences. Unlike more mature markets such as Japan and South Korea, where travelers treat loyalty programs strategically for discounts, Indian consumers show stronger emotional engagement with status, exclusivity, partnerships, and aspirational rewards. The report identifies India as part of the 'Experience Seekers' category, alongside Indonesia and Vietnam, who engage with loyalty emotionally as much as transactionally. Properties are actively incorporating ancient Indian wellness traditions, treating guests to bedside infusions of cumin-infused water, soaked raisins, and raw almonds to promote healthy sleep, while hosting tranquil lamp lighting ceremonies for guests to disconnect and reflect.
Indian travelers demonstrate unique preferences in their travel motivations and spending behavior. According to the study, Indians are the most likely in APEC to travel for shopping, with 62% prioritizing nature and sightseeing, 61% focusing on food and dining, and 56% interested in shopping. Unlike regional counterparts, 69% of Indian travelers redeem loyalty points for big-ticket items, the highest level across the entire APEC region. The report notes that 41% of Indian travelers earn hotel loyalty points through food delivery and dining out, while 59% redeem points for practical travel perks such as airport lounge access and upgrades. The findings show that travellers motivated by culinary experiences displayed the strongest loyalty, making dining one of the 'most powerful and scalable levers' for hotel loyalty engagement.
The report reveals significant variations in loyalty program engagement across APEC markets, with Indonesia and India ranking at the top with 77% of respondents engaged in hotel loyalty programs over the past year, while Singapore falls behind at 55%. According to Mei Xue Ying, VP, Marketing, APEC at Marriott International, Singapore's hotel loyalty programme space is busy and cluttered, with travellers being savvy about maximizing value. To address this challenge, Marriott has formed strategic partnerships with companies like Singapore Airlines for members to cross-earn and redeem points beyond hotels. The company has also launched The Never-Ending Staycation package in April, featuring a comedic mini-series starring local talent and special staycation packages across 19 properties in Singapore till the end of this year. The massive room injection across forty-three cities keeps local accommodation pricing highly competitive, dramatically lowering the time, risk, and cognitive load associated with planning multi-city itineraries across India.
