Marriott-Delta Merger Cleared by the Competition Bureau

A major hotel chain merger has been approved by the Competition Bureau. Marriott International, a Maryland-based lodging company with over 4,100 hotels around the world, is buying Delta’s hotels and resorts brand and related business in a $168-million deal. Delta is a Canadian hotel brand that currently operates and franchises 38 properties in more than 30 cities across Canada. The Bureau has issued a No Action Letter, having concluded that the proposed transaction is unlikely to result in a substantial lessening or prevention of competition, due to the presence of other chain hotels and independent hotels who will remain as effective competitors.