Marriott is entering into an agreement with Spanish hotel group AC Hotels, chaired by Antonio Catalan, to form a new brand of hotels across Europe and Latin America called "AC by Marriott."

According to the press release: "AC by Marriott will incorporate the concept and business model of AC Hotels' urban-style four-star hotel product, characterized by a unique blend of quality, comfort, design and technology, with Marriott International's global systems, distribution, and sales platforms, particularly Marriott Rewards."

That's right - this means if you're a Marriott rewards member, you have yet another option for earning and redeeming points! The new hotel brand will allow Marriott's customers access under the Marriott Rewards program and enable AC's guests to earn Marriott Rewards points for travel at Marriott branded hotels around the world.

The new brand of hotels is not to be confused with Marriott's other "AC" - the Autograph Collection. The "AC by Marriott" stands for Antonio Catalan, whose hotel group currently manages over 90 hotels in Spain, Italy and Portugal. The hotels anticipate closing the deal before the end of 2010, which means you can start booking rooms for stays in 2011.

Filed under: Europe, South America, Hotels and Accommodations