The fizz is changing at one of the world's biggest hotel companies. Marriott is swapping Pepsi for Coke.

Marriott International is making Coca-Cola its beverage supplier across its global portfolio — roughly 9,800 properties in 145 countries and territories — ending a relationship with PepsiCo that began in 1992, the two companies announced. The change takes effect this summer and rolls out in phases as hotels use up existing stock, VinePair reported.

What the deal covers

This is not just about the soda gun at the lobby bar. The agreement spans Coca-Cola's range — carbonated soft drinks, water, juices and other beverages — served in guest rooms, restaurants, lounges, minibars and meeting spaces across Marriott brands from Courtyard to Ritz-Carlton, Westin and Sheraton. Given the scale — Marriott counts roughly 1.78 million rooms — the switch touches hundreds of millions of guest stays a year.

Why it matters in the "cola wars"

For a soft-drink company, the foodservice and hospitality channel — sales made away from home, in hotels, restaurants and venues — is strategic ground. These contracts lock in exclusive distribution at enormous scale and, unlike grocery-shelf sales, come with a captive audience: a guest reaching into a minibar takes whatever brand the hotel stocks. Winning Marriott's entire global footprint is therefore a substantial gain for Coca-Cola and a notable loss for PepsiCo, which had held the account for more than three decades.

There is history here, too. Pepsi originally won Marriott's business back in 1992, when Coca-Cola reportedly declined to extend Marriott favorable financing and Pepsi offered better terms, as trade coverage noted. This time the logic ran the other way. Marriott has pointed to guest preference — the company has said a large majority of its Bonvoy loyalty members favor Coke, though that figure comes from the company's own research and should be read as such.

The bigger picture for both companies

The timing matters for how each business is positioned. Coca-Cola has been stacking up away-from-home wins in recent years, and a global hotel account reinforces its strength in that channel. PepsiCo, meanwhile, has leaned increasingly on its snacks arm (Frito-Lay) and on non-carbonated drinks; losing a marquee hospitality customer stings, but beverages are only one part of its portfolio. For investors, the deal is less about near-term earnings — the financial terms weren't disclosed — than about momentum and prestige in a rivalry where brand presence compounds over time. (Away-from-home sales are drinks consumed outside the home — a high-visibility, high-margin channel both companies fight over.)

Why it matters

For Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, the switch is a visible scoreboard change in a century-old rivalry, handing Coke a presence in nearly 10,000 hotels worldwide. For Marriott and its owners, the company frames the move around guest preference and economics for franchisees, though it will require a global, property-by-property changeover. And for travelers, it simply means the can in the minibar will soon be red, not blue. Boursel gives no investment advice; the takeaway is that a single supplier decision at one hotel giant reshuffles a meaningful slice of the global beverage market — a reminder that in the cola wars, distribution is the prize.