Select Marriott Guests Can Test Drive the New GoPro HERO4

by Ryan Rudnansky
Last updated: 6:00 PM ET, Thu January 15, 2015

Photo courtesy of Marriott Hotels

Marriott Hotels, Marriott International's flagship brand, announced on Thursday that guests who stay at participating Marriott Hotels in the Caribbean and Latin America will be given the opportunity to test drive the new GoPro HERO4 camera for free and share their experiences with the rest of the world.

Guests who use the GoPro HERO4 at 17 participating resorts in the Caribbean and Latin America are encouraged to post their GoPro photo and video content across social media platforms using the hashtags #GoPro, #travelbrilliantly and #viajegenial. The best posts will be featured on the Marriott Hotels website.

Submitted content will also be curated and shared across Marriott International's social media channels and the in-room entertainment systems at the major hospitality company's participating hotels. Guests can also win prizes such as vacation stays, Marriott Rewards points and GoPro cameras if their content is selected by Marriott Hotels social media channels.

"We live in a digital and social age. Through this program at Marriott Hotels, we're giving guests a fun way to tell their own travel story using the versatile and memory making GoPro technology and immediately share their content with friends and family," said Craig S. Smith, president of the Caribbean and Latin America at Marriott International, via a press release. "Next generation travelers are looking for ways to create and share their experiences and Marriott has made it a priority to constantly introduce innovation into our hotels that is engaging and fits their digital lifestyle."

"The Marriott Hotels brand continually demonstrates leadership in bringing new travel-enhancing experiences to their guests and the GoPro HERO4 cameras are the perfect device for their guests to capture their Caribbean and Latin American vacations," added GoPro Senior Vice President of Marketing, Paul Crandell. "Resort destinations in tropical locations are where passionate people go to enjoy amazing new experiences and we can't wait to see the GoPro photos and videos that Marriott guests create during their stay."

The campaign name, #travelbrilliantly, is fitting because one could call this a brilliant campaign. It combines two major current travel trends into one: marketing through guests' social media posts and the rise of video marketing (global hospitality solutions provider TravelClick thought so much of video that it recently purchased well-known Paris video solutions company TVtrip).

Plus, the GoPro HERO4 looks like a joy to use. It's quite possible that travelers, photographers and videographers will book at the participating hotels simply to try out the camera. It's been rated 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon.com, boasting features such as high-quality and high-resolution video, fast and powerful photo capturing, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, tagging capabilities, a "QuikCapture" mode for those shots that need to be taken in the blink of an eye, a powerful audio system, customizable exposure settings for single and Time Lapse photos at night and in low-light settings, and more.

It may be wise for travelers to make the most of this opportunity. After all, as a GoPro HERO4 promotional video notes, "Life is either an incredible adventure or it's nothing at all."

Participating Marriott Hotels properties include:

Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino

CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort

CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa

Costa Rica Marriott Hotel San Jose

Curacao Marriott Beach Resort & Emerald Casino

Frenchman's Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort

Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort

JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa

JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort

JW Marriott Hotel Lima

JW Marriott Hotel Quito