by Paul Heney
Last updated: 6:00 PM ET, Tue October 23, 2018
There's been a lot of press about the Marriott-Starwood merger, but most of the stories have focused on the combined network, how all the new brands would fall together, and what it would mean to loyalty members on either side.
But somewhat lost in the shuffle has been the rebranding of the old SPG Moments program into Marriott Moments. The concept is a brilliant one, and in my opinion, severely under-utilized in the hotel space. Think of the official tours that are offered as part of a cruise-they're pre-arranged activities vouched for by the cruise line that you book through them. Marriott Moments isn't so different.
If you're staying at a Marriott property in Seattle, Miami or London, why not book some tours right through the hotel? It seems like a slam dunk as far as convenience for the traveler, and an extra revenue opportunity for the hotel chain.
Marriott has effectively rolled out local-area expert recommendations and hand-curated lists of things to do on the substantially expanded Marriott Moments to help all travelers and locals discover experiences that speak to their passions and inspire personal fulfillment.
Throughout Marriott Moments, expert recommendations from hotel general managers, chefs and mixologists, luminary partners Chefs Daniel Boulud, Eric Ripert and Stephanie Izard, as well as actress and singer Lea Michele, world champion freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy and sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya are featured, with more local area expertise from Marriott hotel associates to be added regularly.
As a complement to the recommendations, Marriott Moments will offer bespoke categories based on passion points, types of travel companions, and personality traits including "Pop-Culture Vulture," "Exhaust Your Kids and Be the Family Hero," and "Young, Broke & Fabulous." All recommendations and categories will feature hand-curated lists of the best things to do from around the world, available for purchase with any major credit card.
I tried out two vastly different Marriott Moments during a visit to the Aloft hotel in San José, Costa Rica, and both of them were interesting and enjoyable.
On my first full day in town, we did a half-day San José city tour. Our local guide showed us many of the sights in his hometown, from the country's oldest bar to some of the city's vibrant markets. He showed us some of the amazing architecture in town, but also explained how the country's cuisine is unique, what the major exports are, and gave us multiple history lessons.
We stopped to try some local coffee, chocolate, tamales, and even the famous La Sorbetera de Lolo Mora's cinnamon ice cream (the only flavor), long a staple of the Mercado Central market.
We were picked up from and dropped off at the Aloft in a modern shuttle van, and the whole experience was seamless.
The next day, I tried something much longer-a fully 15-hour day trip up to the Arenal Volcano. This Marriott Moment was all inclusive, featuring both lunch and dinner at authentic Costa Rican restaurants along the way.
There was a little bit of everything on this adventure tour: a stop at a coffee plantation, scenic views of the whole San José valley, waterfalls, interactions with iguanas and exotic birds, zip lining, a swim in thermal mineral waters, and a description of the culture and traditions of the Maleku People of the region.
Our guide/driver was pleasant, professional and fun to chat with, and we had the same easy door-to-door service from the front of the hotel.
Earlier this year, Marriott announced the expansion of Marriott Moments eco-system, which now includes more than 110,000 must-see attraction and top-rated activities open to anyone, as well as 8,000 exclusive Moments for members of Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) that can only be redeemed with points. Additionally, members who purchase a Moment using a credit card will earn points.
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