Marriott International (MAR) said on Monday it would partner with China’s Alibaba Group (BABA) to tap into the growing number of Chinese consumers traveling abroad.
Marriott’s shares were up 3.5% in premarket trading.
The world’s biggest hotel chain said the joint venture with Alibaba would allow Chinese travelers to book rooms at Marriott hotels via Alibaba’s travel service platform, Fliggy.
The travelers would be able to pay for their bookings using the Chinese e-commerce company’s online payments platform, Alipay, the companies said.
The deal would allow Bethesda, Maryland-based Marriott to leverage Alibaba’s large consumer base in China.
Marriott owns the JW Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance and Autograph Collection hotel brands among others.
