Marriott enters into pact with Zomato to expand home delivery service

Global hospitality major Marriott International on Friday said its home delivery service will now be available in more cities through an agreement with food aggregator Zomato. This association further expands and strengthens Marriott's home delivery service across India, while making it a mutually beneficial tool that allows outreach and exposure to thousands of customers using the platform, Marriott International said in a statement.

The company's home delivery service, 'Marriott on Wheels', has also branched out into providing corporate outdoor catering services and Bento Box meals, it added. The partnership will start with close to 30 hotels in cities Bengaluru, Gurugram, Delhi, Pune, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Raipur, Chennai, Kochi and Surat, Marriott International said. This facility will extend to additional cities, as more hotels join the service provider.

Leveraging on the equity and outreach of Zomato, every meal delivery comes with the assurance of responsible and safe handling and packaging measures from start to finish with every order, it added. "Revolutionising the way food delivery works and elevating the service elements, we have partnered with an established brand like Zomato. This will help us provide seamless end-to-end solutions that involve quality, the speed with all the necessary protocols followed," Marriott International South Asia Senior Vice-President Neeraj Govil said. There is a synergy of values between both brands and "we believe the partnership will take our food delivery service under the 'Marriott On Wheels' programme to the next level as we see the country opening up slowly", he added.

Zomato will execute contactless delivery on all prepaid orders, the statement said. "We are happy to partner with Marriott International and feature 'Marriott on Wheels' on the Zomato app. As consumers look for new ways to indulge and celebrate special occasions in the 'new normal', we believe this partnership will be important in rendering premium food experiences," Zomato Food Delivery Chief Operating Officer Mohit Sardana said. There would also be a sanitisation station as well as a temperature-measuring station for Zomato delivery partners at all Marriott locations so that there is no lapse in food safety, the statement said. Marriott International has a portfolio of over 7,300 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 134 countries and territories.