The Marriott Bonvoy Moments characteristic permits members to redeem factors for experiences quite than resort stays, both by an public sale or by buying them outright. The forms of experiences can embody VIP entry to live shows, culinary experiences, premier sporting occasions, and extra, all obtainable by an on-line portal.
Whereas the very best redemptions of Marriott Bonvoy factors usually lie in aspirational resort and resort stays, the Marriott Bonvoy Moments program gives a wide range of various makes use of if you end up seeking an expertise as a substitute of a spot to remain.
What Are Marriott Bonvoy Moments?
Marriott Bonvoy Moments are a set of experiences that may be bought solely with Bonvoy factors by a web-based portal. Some experiences could also be bid for by an public sale, whereas some could also be confirmed with a set quantity of factors.
Lots of the experiences are held at Marriott-affiliated resorts and resorts, and generally, the Second could entail a keep on the property as properly.
Marriott Bonvoy Moments are divided into 4 classes:
- Culinary Moments, which embody wining and eating at well-known eating places, culinary programs with famend cooks, personal dinners in distinctive places, and extra.Â
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- Arts & Life-style Moments, which is a broad assortment encompassing artwork reveals, style occasions, amusement parks, cultural experiences, and float rides, amongst others.
- Sports activities Moments, which supply prime entry to a spread of occasions at varied venues worldwide by Marriott’s partnerships with leagues, groups, and venues, together with the NCAA, Manchester United, and extra.
- Leisure Moments, which embody live shows, awards ceremonies, unique events, and sporting occasions, usually with premium seating. For instance, you may count on entry to Marriott’s personal suites at leisure venues, such because the Crypto.com Enviornment in LA, The O2 in London, and the Mercedes-Benz Enviornment in Shanghai.
It’s value noting that the Marriott Bonvoy Moments program is separate from the Excursions & Actions program, additionally supplied by Marriott. The previous usually contains one-off and unique experiences, whereas the latter gives journey experiences you could additionally discover with different tour corporations.
Bonvoy members could redeem factors for as much as 5 Moments per calendar 12 months, with as much as two packages per occasion. Sadly, residents of Quebec aren’t eligible to take part within the Moments program for now, however the foundation for eligibility appears to rely solely on the handle listed in your Bonvoy profile.
If you happen to attain the utmost of 5 Moments redemptions, understand that you may all the time provoke free on-line transfers of as much as 100,000 Bonvoy factors to different individuals’s accounts yearly.
Based on the Marriott Bonvoy Moments FAQs, auctions are typically supplied between 15 and 30 days from the launch of the occasion. The listing is ceaselessly up to date, so it could be worthwhile to test as soon as a month or so to see if something piques your curiosity.
How you can Redeem Factors for Marriott Bonvoy Moments
There are two methods to redeem factors for Marriott Bonvoy Moments.
The primary is to purchase packages outright at a set worth. For these Moments, you may immediately verify your expertise, and the factors will instantly be deducted out of your account.
Be aware that after bought, Moments are non-refundable, so make sure you test all particulars earlier than clicking by.
The second approach is thru an auction-style format, whereby members bid on Moments from a set beginning worth. Bids improve by increments of not less than 2,500 factors, and you’ve got the choice to put a one-time bid or to enter a most bid.
If somebody outbids your one-time bid, you’ll need to enter in one other bid if, for instance, you actually wish to redeem Bonvoy factors to see Manchester sport on the Outdated Trafford in Manchester.
If you happen to select to enter a most bid as a substitute, you should enter probably the most Bonvoy factors you’d be prepared to half with to win a specific expertise. If somebody outbids you, the bidding system will routinely improve your bid by the bottom attainable increments, till your most is reached.
Be aware you could’t alter or take away your bid, so be ready to half with the total quantity of your bid earlier than clicking “Bid Now”. You’ll routinely be disqualified from the public sale in case your steadiness is inadequate to cowl your bid at any level all through the public sale.
You’ll be notified by electronic mail when you win an public sale, or when you’re outbid. A Marriott Bonvoy Moments specialist will contact you to finalize the main points of the expertise when you win, and the factors will likely be deducted out of your account.
Does Marriott Bonvoy Moments Supply Good Worth?
Since Marriott Bonvoy Moments claims to supply unique entry to a wide range of experiences, it could be troublesome to calculate the precise worth of a Moments expertise. That is very true if it’s a non-public occasion, for which most of the people can’t pay money.
Moreover, the worth naturally fluctuates relying on how vital a specific expertise is to you. A Manchester United fan could really feel giddy with pleasure to take pleasure in VIP hospitality at Outdated Trafford, whereas somebody who’s fully detached to soccer would possibly balk at that very same proposition.
In the meantime, when you’re sitting on a big sum of Marriott Bonvoy factors and don’t intend to make use of them for resort stays, maybe the concept of throwing 100,000 factors at a specific expertise might be a enjoyable approach to get one thing out of your factors.
Regardless of the case could also be, an goal approach to think about the worth of a Second is to ask your self: “Am I getting good worth through the use of $X value of Bonvoy factors for this expertise?”
Take the Chef-Guided Khao Chae Workshop at Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park, for instance. This bundle, obtainable for 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors, contains:
- Two-night keep in an M Suite at Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park together with every day breakfast
- Non-public limousine transfers to the workshop occasion
- Khao Chae workshop for 2
- Khao Chae media occasion for 2
- Thai garland scarf memento for 2
It’s a simple bundle—not precisely a mind-blowing redemption—however right here’s why it’s a strong deal.
Reserving the identical resort by itself (with out the culinary expertise) would value 74,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors for a commonplace king room. If you happen to needed to remain within the precise M Suite included within the bundle, you’d need to shell out 119,200 factors.
So, as a substitute of spending 74,000 factors on a fundamental room, you may improve to a collection with lounge entry, every day breakfast, and a novel cultural expertise—for simply 1,000 further factors.
After all, your journey dates must align with the bundle availability, and when you maintain Platinum Elite standing or greater, you’d already take pleasure in lounge entry and complimentary breakfast.
Nevertheless, contemplating the suite improve, unique culinary expertise, and minimal further factors required, this redemption is an absolute steal.
Let’s take a pair extra examples in a bit of extra superior perspective.
We worth Bonvoy factors at 0.8 cents per level (CAD) / 0.6 cents per level (USD), which is the benchmark we’ll use within the beneath evaluation.
For instance, there’s a closed provide from the previous, which delivered two tickets to see Drake in live performance on the Scotiabank Enviornment in Toronto. For 55,000 Bonvoy factors, which we’d worth at $440 (CAD), patrons obtained two tickets in part 108, plus VIP entry to the world.
Contemplating that seats on the identical part now resell on Ticketmaster for upwards of $2,000 (CAD) every, the fortunate Bonvoy members acquired themselves a incredible deal – and so they didn’t need to undergo the standard problem of securing the much-coveted tickets within the first place.
As one other instance, think about the next earlier Second, which gives three nights of experiences in Montreal:
Included on this bundle have been:
- Three-night keep at Le Centre Sheraton Montreal, value $1,277 (CAD)
- Dinner for 2 at Stanley Restaurant, value $180 (CAD)
- Two platinum-level tickets to the Montreal Canadiens vs. New Jersey Devils sport, value $460 (CAD)
- Dinner for 2 at La Mise au Jeu Restaurant, value $200 (CAD)
- Two autographed Montreal Canadiens jerseys, value $300 (CAD)
- VIP Shania Twain Queen of Me Tour live performance expertise for 2 with lower-bowl seats, value $580 (CAD)
Plus, this Second comes with a slew of VIP perks, together with:
- Entry to the Montreal Canadiens Director’s Lounge
- A single parking house within the Montreal Canadiens’ personal storage
- Entry to the Montreal Canadiens Media Lounge and Press Gallery
- Entry to the Montreal Canadiens dressing room and post-game press convention
- Entry to the Shania Twain Queen of Me pre-show lounge, together with complimentary drinks and lightweight appetizers, one merchandise merchandise per individual, and autographed memento
The approximate values listed above have been taken from the resort, restaurant, and Ticketmaster web sites. For the resort keep, tickets, jerseys, and meals alone, you’re already getting roughly $3,000 (CAD) in worth – plus, you’re getting loads of VIP advantages that the general public doesn’t essentially have entry to.
Two of the Montreal Moments bundle are at the moment bidding for 122,000 Bonvoy factors, which we’d worth at $976 (CAD). The public sale wasn’t closing for 10 days after the time of writing; nonetheless, to match the approximate $3,000 (CAD) worth of the packages, you’d need to bid about 350,000 Bonvoy factors, which remains to be a far cry from the present bid.
Even when you find yourself bidding factors to match and even exceed the face worth of the bundle, you could possibly nonetheless come out forward with the unique perks you’ll be receiving. A daily attendee of an NHL sport, irrespective of in the event that they paid for the costliest tickets in the home, gained’t essentially get entry to a workforce’s dressing room and post-game convention. Equally, a Shania Twain fan could discover it arduous to get an autographed memento.
Whereas there are numerous different elements that would change the valuation above, it’s value noting that the worth that Moments provide varies extensively relying on the bundle worth, how a lot you worth Bonvoy factors, and most significantly, a person’s tastes and preferences.
If you happen to’re a die-hard opera fan, and a Second gives you a premium seat, a chef’s dinner, and a meet-and-greet together with your favorite soprano, you may not cease speaking about this for the remainder of your life.
The identical is true for foodies, sports activities followers, style gurus, and music lovers – the teams for whom Moments appear to be designed.
Conclusion
The Marriott Bonvoy Moments program gives another redemption choice apart from aspirational resort stays or transfers to airline loyalty packages. It additionally serves as an fascinating approach to spend your Bonvoy factors on one thing that you simply would possibly discover invaluable with out having to shell out the money.
Because the choice of Moments is consistently altering, it could be worthwhile to sometimes test the web site for experiences which may be of curiosity to you. The expertise might be an amazing praise to a vacation or a pleasant shock for somebody particular, even perhaps providing you an unforgettable expertise that cash can’t purchase – however factors can.
