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We reported in April about the exciting new benefits on the way for Marriott Rewards members and yesterday Marriott delivered, unveiling its new Experiences Marketplace for Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards members.
Billed by Marriott as a place to redeem rewards points for specially curated events and experiences.
In our experiences marketplace, Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Members can pursue their passions by redeeming rewards points for a wide-array of specially curated events and opportunities for discovery.
From the once-in-a-lifetime “bucket list” moments to unforgettable personally fulfilling experiences.
The marketplace is separated into four categories.
Sports
Entertainment
You can learn the fine art of brewing beer in Chicago, hire a 476HP Mercedes V8 for the day, or shag fly balls from the field during pre-game practice for the Red Sox in Boston. The experiences are designed to be one-off events and give you the chance to redeem rewards points for a unique adventure or encounter.
Culinary
Lifestyle
While similar offerings from other loyalty programs like SPG Moments℠ or SkyMiles Experiences™ often use auction-style bidding on experiences, Marriott's new Experiences Marketplace works along very similar lines to the Exclusive Events website for cardholders of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card in that experiences are fixed price.
Events can only be purchased using Marriott Bonvoy points; no points + cash options are available at this stage. Marriott will also be adding new experiences on an ongoing basis so make sure to check back often to find new events.
Final Thoughts
We often talk about the value of points in a very specific cent-per-point ratio, and where certain redemptions are concerned, that is valid. But how do you put a monetary value on securing hard to find tickets for the critically acclaimed Broadway show, Hamilton: An American Musical? Or meeting Ray Romano at his show in Las Vegas?
In this case, your points are providing more than monetary value; they are providing you with an unforgettable experience, which in my books, goes right to the heart of why we invest in collecting rewards points. As the saying goes ‘life is about the memories you create, not the money you make.'
Head over to Marriott's new Experiences Marketplace to see the full list of redemptions available.
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