With the launch of Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott created a new experience platform called Marriott Bonvoy Moments. The program offers destination-specific activities in many of the cities where Marriott has a hotel presence.
The program combines the two previous programs – SPG Moments and Marriott Moments. While these two programs were similar, they had some small difference. In this article, I will focus on what we have now, and that is Marriott Bonvoy Moments.
What are Marriott Bonvoy Moments?
As mentioned, Marriott Bonvoy Moments focuses on rewarding its members with events. It provides another option to allow you to redeem your Marriott Bonvoy points.
In some cases, these are money-can’t-buy experiences – you can’t simply pay cash. Given that, in some cases, these are truly once-in-a-lifetime events.
Of course, some of the moments, are a bit more run of the mill, such as concert tickets. But if a private dinner, with a Michelin chef, is your style, then there’s a chance such a Moment will pop up.
These moments incorporate a broad range of events and are comprised of the following four categories:
- Culinary Moments. These include cooking masterclasses, VIP food festivals, and dinner experiences with some of the world’s greatest chefs
- Entertainment Moments. Examples are premium concert tickets, private performances, after-party access, and backstage access
- Lifestyle Moments. These offer opportunities obtain which include best of house show tickets, attend red carpet premieres or gain access to extreme fitness events
- Sports Moments. These focus on tournament and event tickets, player meet and greets and skills clinics with pros
Some examples of the types of experiences that may be available include hiking into glacial Patagonia, desert treks on camelback in Morocco, or cruising to Vietnam’s timeless floating villages. On the culinary front, members can indulge in once a lifetime experience like cooking alongside renowned chefs Daniel Boulud and Eric Ripert.
How to Book a Moment
In order to take advantage of Marriott Bonvoy Moments, head over to their website. From there, you can search by location, category, date range, keyword or points range, or buying format.
Most of these options are self-explanatory – the one that isn’t is buying format. There are two types of buying formats – fixed price or auction. In the case of a fixed price, you will be shown a number of points, and you can purchase at this price.
In some cases, however, there may only be a limited number of packages available. For these, Marriott will conduct an auction to find out who gets the package.
As an example, let’s say I wanted to see what was on in Melbourne. I could simply select Melbourne as the location and then search. At the time I did the search, the Melbourne Grand Prix was on offer. The purchase now options had sold out, leaving two packages that were being auctioned.
Final Words
These Moments may not be for everyone. But for those that have a decent points balance, and no real desire to stay in more hotel rooms, there are some worthwhile options. In many cases, you are going to need to travel though, as the range of options in Australia is pretty limited..
Whatever the case, it may make some events available that you may not otherwise be able to participate in.
