All of us global travellers aspire to get the most bang for our buck while travelling, and one surefire way to do that is to enrol for hotel loyalty programs offered by most major hotel chains out there. While they may all be worthwhile, the trick to enhancing your travels exponentially is by weighing out the benefits offered, and how you can realistically utilise them.
Not signing up for a hotel loyalty program is akin to passing up free money as lodging itself more often than not entails quite a huge expense. Besides scoring complimentary stays, the endless rewards and benefits include dealing with less blackout dates, priority check-in, room upgrades, and guaranteed late check out, amongst other members-only perks.
Certain loyalty programs evidently trump over others by an outstretched mile, and a prime case in point is Marriott International’s award-winning Marriott Rewards. Members don’t merely relish in exclusive Member Rates; there are points to be earned, effortless mobile check-in and checkout, and get this – no blackout dates to meddle with.
A huge added incentive is that the recent Marriott-Starwood merger signifies that its diverse footprint now spans over 5,700 hotels globally. While Marriott Rewards and SPG will soon be integrated, members of both loyalty programs can link their accounts to unlock extra benefits, whereas members of either programs are entitled to transfer points across portfolios.
This is where Marriott Rewards is truly unrivalled – its global partnership with Universal Music Group. The unique collaboration allows Marriott Rewards members to unlock exclusive and unforgettable musical experiences, and for its first instalment in Asia Pacific, we witnessed the Imagine Dragons perform live at Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park.
Yeap, you read that right! The multi-platinum American rock band was brought down by Marriott International to the Land of Smiles to spotlight the opening of its first Marriott Marquis landmark within Asia Pacific – the mammoth 1,360-guest room Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park – and the intimate hour-long, 400-guest concert was no less than spectacular.
Comprising frontman Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee and drummer Daniel Platzman, Imagine Dragons took their private show back to basics with minimal ostentatious effects or outfits, which meant that our sole focus was on Reynold’s orotund vocals, coupled with the spine-tingling sounds from the band.
Imagine Dragons opened the night with “Thunder” which instantly upped the energy amongst the crowd, and continued to slay with their chart-topping hits including “It’s Time”, “Demons”, “On Top of the World” and “Believer”. The finale of the heart-thumping night was an extended version of “Radioactive” with an intense drum solo by Reynolds slid in between.
On top of the private showcase, guests were also treated to free-flowing canapés and drinks including special handcrafted cocktails named after the band’s best-selling hits, but that wasn’t all – several Marriott Reward members were lucky enough to redeem their points on the Moments platform to unlock a VIP meet-and-greet session with the talented lads.
Needless to say, we got our moment in the spotlight too thanks to the awesome folks at Marriott, and while you may contend that just about anybody would be able to watch Imagine Dragons live if they had wanted to, we’re certain that our up-close encounter with the band, complemented with the front-row, crystal clear musical experience, will always be unequalled.
A surefire way to guarantee that you too will be entitled to once-in-a-lifetime opportunities such as this is to sign up as a Marriott Rewards member today. 😉
PS: Stay tuned for a detailed review on our stay at Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park!