--- title: "Marriott Ends 34-Year Pepsi Deal, Switching to Coca-Cola Across Its Hotels" description: "Marriott is dropping PepsiCo for Coca-Cola as the beverage supplier across roughly 9,800 hotels in 145 countries, ending a partnership that dates to 1992. It is a marquee win for Coca-Cola in the away-from-home market that both cola giants prize." category: "Companies" category_url: https://boursel.com/category/companies author: "Daniel Okonkwo" published: 2026-07-02T14:44:00.000Z updated: 2026-07-02T14:44:00.000Z canonical: https://boursel.com/article/marriott-ends-34-year-pepsi-deal-switching-to-coca-cola-across-its-hotels tags: ["coca-cola", "pepsico", "marriott", "beverages", "hospitality"] --- # Marriott Ends 34-Year Pepsi Deal, Switching to Coca-Cola Across Its Hotels Marriott is dropping PepsiCo for Coca-Cola as the beverage supplier across roughly 9,800 hotels in 145 countries, ending a partnership that dates to 1992. It is a marquee win for Coca-Cola in the away-from-home market that both cola giants prize. 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](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/an-iconic-pairing-marriott-international-and-the-cocacola-company-come-together-in-strategic-beverage-agreement-302815348.html). The change takes effect this summer and rolls out in phases as hotels use up existing stock, [VinePair reported](https://vinepair.com/booze-news/coca-cola-replaces-pepsi-in-marriott-hotels/). ## 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](https://vinepair.com/booze-news/coca-cola-replaces-pepsi-in-marriott-hotels/). 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. ## Sources - [Marriott International and The Coca-Cola Company come together in strategic beverage agreement](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/an-iconic-pairing-marriott-international-and-the-cocacola-company-come-together-in-strategic-beverage-agreement-302815348.html) - [Coca-Cola to replace Pepsi across Marriott hotels worldwide, ending 34-year partnership](https://vinepair.com/booze-news/coca-cola-replaces-pepsi-in-marriott-hotels/) - [Coca-Cola (KO) enters Marriott deal covering nearly 10,000 hotels worldwide](https://simplywall.st/stocks/us/food-beverage-tobacco/nyse-ko/coca-cola/news/coca-cola-ko-enters-marriott-deal-covering-nearly-10000-hote)