Dive Brief:
- Grubhub and Sonesta International Hotel Corporation will begin offering Grubhub mobile ordering and delivery at 120 of Sonesta’s Extended Stay Suites and Simply Suites locations, the companies announced on Thursday.
- Customers at the hotels can order through Grubhub’s app or through QR codes displayed by the hotel that take them to Grubhub’s marketplace.
- Since Grubhub’s American marketshare began to crumble in 2019, the delivery aggregator has sought to find new strengths through deals with college campuses, stadiums and hotel chains.
Dive Insight:
Hotel delivery and loyalty deals have long been part of Gruhub’s playbook, and give the aggregator access to valuable captive audiences.
“Sonesta ES Suites and Simply Suites apartment-styled accommodations provide guests with a fully equipped kitchen, giving them a sense of normalcy and a home away from home,” Sonesta’s chief brand officer, Elizabeth Harlow, said. Access to delivery services and easy ordering will improve the guest experience, Harlow said.
Eric Ferguson, Grubhub’s COO, said delivery would fill a niche for the hotels, “we’re excited to help support a dining need at these properties.” To ease delivery, “the hotel location and courier drop-off instructions will automatically populate at checkout,” the companies said.
Delivery aggregators, across the board, are seeking to enter new verticals to help draw in more customers, as the industry fights for profitability following years of mounting losses. In addition to Grubhub’s partnerships with colleges and stadiums, the company has linked its loyalty program to Amazon Prime and tested robotic delivery.
The platform has a handful hotel partnerships under its belt, as well. In 2017, Grubhub and InetrContinental Hotels Group connected their loyalty programs to offer points to customers who ordered through IHG’s channels at more than 1,000 hotels. In June, Grubhub signed a delivery deal with Homewood Suites by Hilton, in a partnership similar to the Sonesta arrangement.
Competitors have leaned on the same strategy. DoorDash has engaged in similar efforts, including a delivery partnership with Wyndham Hotels that began in 2019. Uber linked its loyalty program with Marriott Bonvoy beginning in 2021.
