New, global member series kicks off with Dwyane Wade, Laird Hamilton, Annika Sorenstam, Padraig Harrington, Eric Ripert, and others.
BETHESDA, MD. – Whether you want to learn how to whip up edible works of art, consistently drain the bottom of the net, or perfect your backswing, Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), are making it all possible with the new master class series. Available exclusively for members as a result of Marriott International‘s unrivaled roster of global brands, property amenities, and partnerships, these one-of-a kind, sought-after learning experiences are designed to be highly personal interactions with superstars in sports, culinary, entertainment and lifestyle. The first collection in the ongoing global master class series features hands-on learning experiences with basketball great Dwyane Wade, Hall of Fame golfer Annika Sorenstam, celebrated chef Eric Ripert and legendary surfer Laird Hamilton. These unique elevated experiences are in addition to the thousands of other experiences already offered on both Marriott Rewards Moments and SPG Moments platforms.
“Our members believe life is an adventure worth pursuing,” said David Flueck, Senior Vice President of Global Loyalty, Marriott International. “We’re focused on taking the best of Marriott’s loyalty programs – including our partnerships and extraordinary portfolio of hotels – and stepping it up with master classes that provide transformative experiences travelers cannot get anywhere else.”
Travel is but one of life’s passions for the 100 million Marriott Rewards and SPG members, and master classes will inspire them to pursue and perfect their other passions wherever they travel. Redeemable using loyalty points, master classes will range from hands on experiences with decorated Michelin-starred and James Beard award-winning chefs, championship golfers, Hall of Fame caliber basketball players, on-property experts and others giants in their fields.
The first featured opportunities available through the master class series include:
- NBA Skills Training with Dwyane Wade at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami – Skills and drills with the legendary Dwyane Wade on the hotel’s NBA approved indoor basketball court.
- Cooking Lessons with Eric Ripert at the Cayman Cookout Hosted by The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman – Memorable culinary experiences over a four-day event with world-renowned top chefs, with activities that include an exclusive master cooking class with James Beard Award winning and Michelin starred Chef Eric Ripert.
- Surf Lessons with Laird Hamilton at Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Florida – Pro surfer, Laird Hamilton teaches master surfing lesson on the hotel’s SurfStream®, the world’s first standing wave machine.
- Culinary Experience with Chef Paco Perez at Hotel Arts Barcelona – Private culinary experience with Michelin starred Chef Paco Perez at Enoteca, followed by a multi-course private dining experience with wine pairings.
- Two-day Golf Clinic with Annika Sorenstam at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe – Improve your swing and get to know golf legend – Annika Sorenstam over 18 holes of golf on the Old Greenwood Golf Course.
- Golf Lessons with Padraig Harrington at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay in California – Shotgun start and skills brush up with three-time major champion golfer Padraig Harrington at the championship Ocean Course.
- Golf Skills Clinic with Thomas Bjorn at The Westin La Quinta Golf Resort & Spa, Benahavis, Marbella, Spain – Skills and technique clinic taught by 21-time worldwide champion, Thomas Bjorn at La Quinta Golf and Country Club in the renowned Spanish Golf Valley.
- Underwater Conservation with Jean-Michel Cousteau at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, Hawaii – Join the legendary Jean-Michel Cousteau for an underwater conservation lesson in Maui.
Additional master classes available to members of both SPG and Marriott Rewards include a fly-fishing adventure where members fly on The Ritz-Carlton Orlando’s private floatplane to the upper reaches of the historic St. John’s River to learn from Certified Casting Instructor angling techniques, as well as a tennis clinic taught by a pro player and a celebrity tennis enthusiast at the US Open. Future master classes, which will be added in the coming weeks and months, will continue to tap into Marriott International’s unmatched depth & breadth of 30 brands, 6,100 properties in 124 countries & territories, including the Sound Suite at the W hotels, as well as exclusive partnerships with the largest music company, and some of the most popular music venues in the world.
Since Marriott’s acquisition of Starwood last year, members of Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards – which is part of Marriott Rewards – and SPG programs have been able to link their accounts at members.marriott.com to access unparalleled benefits such as instant status matching and unlimited points transfer between programs that can be used to unlock a plethora of unique experiences across Marriott’s portfolio of global brands.
According to Forbes, 94% of millennials reported that they make personal improvement commitments and are willing to spend nearly twice as much as Baby Boomers on self-improvement each month. Marriott Rewards and SPG are helping people fulfill their aspirations to learn and have more authentic experiences that discover culture, history, and prominent people while traveling. In 2006, SPG recognized the trend around experiential travel when it led the industry in introducing SPG Moments. Marriott launched Marriott Rewards Moments (formerly the Experiences Marketplace) last year. Together, both platforms offered members access to more than 13,000 experiences in 2016. As the programs add one million new members every month, the Moments platforms will continue to roll out more exciting experiences only available online through Marriott Moments and SPG Moments.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
