The Marriott Bonvoy Moments function permits members to redeem factors for experiences slightly than lodge stays, both via an public sale or by buying them outright. The sorts of experiences can embrace VIP entry to concert events, culinary experiences, premier sporting occasions, and extra, all accessible via an on-line portal.
Whereas the very best redemptions of Marriott Bonvoy factors sometimes lie in aspirational lodge and resort stays, the Marriott Bonvoy Moments program presents a wide range of various makes use of if you end up searching for an expertise as an alternative of a spot to remain.
What Are Marriott Bonvoy Moments?
Marriott Bonvoy Moments are a group of experiences that may be bought solely with Bonvoy factors via a web-based portal. Some experiences could also be bid for via 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 might entail a keep on the property as properly.
Marriott Bonvoy Moments are divided into 4 classes:
- Culinary Moments, which embrace wining and eating at well-known eating places, culinary programs with famend cooks, personal dinners in distinctive places, and extra.
- Arts & Life-style Moments, which is a broad assortment encompassing artwork reveals, vogue occasions, amusement parks, cultural experiences, and float rides, amongst others.
- Sports activities Moments, which provide prime entry to a variety of occasions at numerous venues worldwide via Marriott’s partnerships with leagues, groups, and venues, together with the NCAA, Manchester United, and extra.
- Leisure Moments, which embrace concert events, awards ceremonies, unique events, and sporting occasions, usually with premium seating. For instance, you’ll be able to count on entry to Marriott’s personal suites at leisure venues, such because the Crypto.com Area in LA, The O2 in London, and the Mercedes-Benz Area 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 sometimes consists of one-off and unique experiences, whereas the latter presents journey experiences that you could additionally discover with different tour firms.
Bonvoy members might 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 tackle listed in your Bonvoy profile.
In case you attain the utmost of 5 Moments redemptions, needless to say you’ll be able to all the time provoke free on-line transfers of as much as 100,000 Bonvoy factors to different folks’s accounts yearly.
In keeping with the Marriott Bonvoy Moments FAQs, auctions are typically supplied between 15 and 30 days from the launch of the occasion. The record is incessantly up to date, so it might be worthwhile to examine as soon as a month or so to see if something piques your curiosity.
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 value. For these Moments, you’ll be able to immediately affirm your expertise, and the factors will instantly be deducted out of your account.
Be aware that after bought, Moments are non-refundable, so remember to examine all particulars earlier than clicking via.
The second approach is thru an auction-style format, whereby members bid on Moments from a set beginning value. Bids enhance by increments of at the very least 2,500 factors, and you’ve got the choice to position a one-time bid or to enter a most bid.
If somebody outbids your one-time bid, you’ll should enter in one other bid if, for instance, you actually wish to redeem Bonvoy factors to see Manchester recreation on the Outdated Trafford in Manchester.
In case you select to enter a most bid as an alternative, you should enter probably the most Bonvoy factors you’d be keen to half with to win a specific expertise. If somebody outbids you, the bidding system will mechanically enhance your bid by the bottom doable increments, till your most is reached.
Be aware that 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 mechanically be disqualified from the public sale in case your stability 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 can be deducted out of your account.
Does Marriott Bonvoy Moments Provide Good Worth?
Since Marriott Bonvoy Moments claims to supply unique entry to a wide range of experiences, it might be tough 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 essential a specific expertise is to you. A Manchester United fan might really feel giddy with pleasure to take pleasure in VIP hospitality at Outdated Trafford, whereas somebody who’s utterly 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 lodge stays, maybe the concept of throwing 100,000 factors at a specific expertise could possibly be a enjoyable strategy to get one thing out of your factors.
Regardless of the case could also be, an goal strategy to contemplate the worth of a Second is to ask your self: “Am I getting good worth by utilizing $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 package deal, accessible for 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors, consists of:
- Two-night keep in an M Suite at Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park together with day by day breakfast
- Personal 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 package deal—not precisely a mind-blowing redemption—however right here’s why it’s a stable deal.
Reserving the identical lodge by itself (with out the culinary expertise) would price 74,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors for a normal king room. In case you wished to remain within the precise M Suite included within the package deal, you’d should shell out 119,200 factors.
So, as an alternative of spending 74,000 factors on a fundamental room, you’ll be able to improve to a collection with lounge entry, day by day breakfast, and a novel cultural expertise—for simply 1,000 further factors.
In fact, your journey dates have to align with the package deal availability, and when you maintain Platinum Elite standing or larger, you’d already take pleasure in lounge entry and complimentary breakfast.
Nonetheless, 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 slightly 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 under evaluation.
For instance, there’s a closed provide from the previous, which delivered two tickets to see Drake in live performance on the Scotiabank Area in Toronto. For 55,000 Bonvoy factors, which we’d worth at $440 (CAD), patrons acquired 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 obtained themselves a incredible deal – they usually didn’t should undergo the same old trouble of securing the much-coveted tickets within the first place.
As one other instance, contemplate the next earlier Second, which presents three nights of experiences in Montreal:
Included on this package deal had 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 recreation, 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 particular person, and autographed memento
The approximate values listed above had been taken from the lodge, restaurant, and Ticketmaster web sites. For the lodge 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 package deal are presently 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 should 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 package deal, you would nonetheless come out forward with the unique perks you’ll be receiving. A daily attendee of an NHL recreation, regardless of in the event that they paid for the costliest tickets in the home, gained’t essentially get entry to a staff’s dressing room and post-game convention. Equally, a Shania Twain fan might discover it laborious to get an autographed memento.
Whereas there are lots of different components that might change the valuation above, it’s value noting that the worth that Moments provide varies extensively relying on the package deal value, how a lot you worth Bonvoy factors, and most significantly, a person’s tastes and preferences.
In case you’re a die-hard opera fan, and a Second presents you a premium seat, a chef’s dinner, and a meet-and-greet along with your favorite soprano, you won’t cease speaking about this for the remainder of your life.
The identical is true for foodies, sports activities followers, vogue gurus, and music lovers – the teams for whom Moments appear to be designed.
Conclusion
The Marriott Bonvoy Moments program presents another redemption choice apart from aspirational lodge stays or transfers to airline loyalty applications. It additionally serves as an attention-grabbing strategy to spend your Bonvoy factors on one thing that you just would possibly discover priceless with out having to shell out the money.
Because the collection of Moments is consistently altering, it might be worthwhile to sometimes examine the web site for experiences that could be of curiosity to you. The expertise could possibly be an awesome praise to a vacation or a pleasant shock for somebody particular, maybe even providing you an unforgettable expertise that cash can’t purchase – however factors can.
