CLUB MARRIOTT TRULY BRINGS ‘MORE’ TO ITS MEMBERS

Marriott is a very big name in the hotel business and after the Starwood acquisition it has become the largest hotel company in the world. In India too, it is now the largest hotel company by number of rooms. Encompassing a staggering portfolio of 30 international brands, Marriott caters to a wide spectrum of customer profiles and preferences. Marriott recently launched the new Club Marriott membership in India and Asia Pacific. Now combined with the Eat Drink and More membership of the erstwhile Starwood Hotels, the new Club Marriott membership is now even more powerful and beneficial to its Members.

Being able to use one card across a select portfolio of Marriott hotels across Asia Pacific, such as JW Marriott, Renaissance Hotels, Courtyard by Marriott, Westin, Sheraton and Le Méridien among others was something that caught my attention in an instant. Hence, I got my first Club Marriott membership to see what the hype was about.

Club Marriott brings more joy to all on special occasion, birthdays, anniversaries and other celebration worthy moments. It allows you to the make the most of every moment without burning a hole in the pocket.

Having used the membership for a while now, I can say that with Club Marriott, Marriott Hotels is truly creating a pool of loyal customers and rewarding them for their loyalty through offers at over 250 of their hotels across Asia Pacific. I mean, up to a 20% off on the food and beverage bill and accommodation each time one dines or stays at one of these hotels is a pretty smooth deal.

I was wondering if this membership that I bought from a friendly, neighbourhood Marriott hotel gives me so many benefits and absolute value for money, why should I visit another hotel in the city at all? Just to list down a few benefits for any one looking out; a 30% off on food and beverage for up to a table of 20 guests each time you dine, group dining certificates offering up to a 50% off on food and beverage, lifestyle certificates offering limited but an interesting use of the spa, health club and pool. However, the cherry on the cake is really the free room night stay it offers for the perfect staycation.

I think this membership brings more joy to all on special occasion, birthdays, anniversaries and other celebration worthy moments. It allows you to the make the most of every moment without burning a hole in the pocket.

Club Marriott truly stands by its tagline ‘we bring more to the table’. Club Marriott comes at a basic fee and offers far more than the card value throughout the membership year.

You can check them out at hotelmemberships or at clubmarriott and get yourself a membership from your next door Marriott hotel. It’s worth every penny.

Ring in the festive season and New Year by gifting a hotel membership

Say Merry Christmas with discounts on the food & beverage bill, complimentary and discounted room night stays and access to the Swimming Pool or Gymnasium at your favorite hotel. Indulge your loved ones and play Santa by gifting a hotel membership this Christmas and New Year.  

Last year, my wife and I threw a small Christmas party to celebrate with a few friends before we got ready to welcome the new year. It was a fun evening celebrating in festive spirit. In addition to the great time and memories we created,  we were delighted to receive a hotel membership as a gift.

I thought the Accor Plus membership was the perfect gift to welcome the new year – a gift one can use multiple times throughout the membership year. A hotel membership offers a number of card benefits valid for an entire year and a series of one-time use certificates.

The first time we used our hotel membership was within the first week of receiving the gift. The Pullman New Delhi Aerocity was hosting a New Year bash at Pling, the elegant, sensuous and tranquil lounge-bar. The hotel was offering a special 10% discount to all Accor Plus members for reserving a table at the New Year party. I distinctly remember booking a table for 10 and receiving at 10% on the package.

One should keep in mind the hotel’s blackout dates while planning a getaway or a staycation during the festive season, other than that membership can come in really handy while enjoying the festive season to the tee!

Besides the festive season, we used our membership on several occasions like our birthdays and anniversary. We went out for dinner with our parents and children on our anniversary and used the Accor Plus certificates entitling us to a 40% discount and a complimentary cake. We were a table of 8 and saved a grand sum amounting to about Rs. 9,000. This was actually the first time I saw the real value of the Accor Plus membership.

We gave the room night stay certificate to our daughter so that she could enjoy a relaxed staycation at the hotel with her friends. My daughter and her friends couldn’t stop raving about the time they had at the hotel – the room, the pool and the food. They had a great time at no extra cost.

 The room night stay offered by Accor Plus is valid across Asia Pacific. Unfortunately, we were unable to use the membership overseas this time. However, I plan to renew the membership in the coming year and avail the complimentary room night stay during our holiday over the summer.

PLAN A HOLIDAY WITH CLUB MARRIOTT

Over the past year I’ve thoroughly enjoyed using my Club Marriott membership at JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru. Complimentary meals, stays and kid’s centred activities, they’ve got it all. Not just JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru, the membership also lets me enjoy a couple of benefits during my weekend stay at the near by Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel.

Having used my card a decent amount, I knew it could be trusted while planning an international trip as well. I logged onto the Club Marriott website to check their participating hotels in Australia and the number of benefits offered there. The website mentioned 16 participating hotels in Australia with the following available benefits:

• Up to a 20% off on the food and beverage bill at the restaurants for up to a maximum of ten (10) guests. Savings on premium wines and spirits at select hotels.
• Up to a 20% off on the Weekend Best Available Rates.

Our travel itinerary included Sydney, Gold Coast and Melbourne, and luckily enough we found a participating Marriott hotel at each of our destinations where the Club Marriott discounts were available.

We spent a total of 2 weekends in Australia and were able to avail the 20% discount on the Best Available Rate on rooms on both occasions. Keeping that aside, we got a 20% on each meal we consumed at the hotels and let me tell you that this accounted for a huge part of our total saving.

The benefits we availed during our trip were far more valuable than the card itself. I’m so glad to have purchased the membership in the first place and then to have planned my trip ‘Down Under’ with it.

For more information click here.

SHOPPING AND STAYCATION WITH CONNOISSEUR CLUB

Retail therapy is the real deal for me and my standard stop is the Ambience Mall in the heart of Gurugram. On one of my shopping trips, I stepped into Spectra at The Leela Ambience Gurugram Hotel for lunch with a friend. We thoroughly enjoyed the extravagant buffet with a choice of cuisine for each. On my way out, I crossed paths with a Leela executive who told me about the Connoisseur Club membership. It seemed so attractive that I got it immediately and have never regretted it ever since. Now it is the most important card in my wallet, almost as important as my credit cards.

The most attractive bit of the membership are the suite night stays built into the Platinum Level. You can use these one at a time and I have used up all the three certificates, enjoying the super luxury of a suite at the hotel, dining discounts at Spectra and the walk straight into the Ambience Mall. For the ones who don’t know, the hotel and the Mall are a part of the same complex. In addition to the dining and accommodation certificates, I ended up using the spa benefit of the membership at the hotel as well.

"Now it is the most important card in my wallet, almost as important as my credit cards."

The membership has more to offer at the lovely Leela hotels in Udaipur, Goa or Kovalam and if you want a city experience then of course the stunning Leela Palace hotels at Bangalore and Chennai. What’s even better is that the card works for dining discounts at the Leela hotel in East Delhi as well, a place I end up going to every couple of months. Highly recommended if you wish to lift your lifestyle with The Leela Hotels.for more information about program click here..

CELEBRATE WITH HILTON PREMIUM CLUB

Hilton Premium Club from the Hilton Mumbai International Airport is a strong food and beverage loyalty card offering up to a 50% discount on the food bill, Member’s Special offer, Happy Hours, Member’s Day and Member’s Night discounts.

 Hilton Mumbai International Airport

I chose to purchase this membership in particular to experience the avant-garde facilities and dining options offered by the boutique style hotel which integrates vintage and contemporary.

It was not only about experiencing the best in service and dining, it was just a smart option for me and my husband to get the membership keeping in mind the kind of entertainment our social lives call for.

“Since it’s mostly the two of us, we always end up paying only half the bill all thanks to the 50% discount on the food bill for a table of two. We go out with friends pretty often as well and the membership offers up to a 33% discount on larger tables.”

The hotel offers a delightful spread of cuisine at their in-house restaurants The Brasserie, The Brasserie Grill and Imperial China. The Brasserie offers a choice to be spoilt for Indian, French, Italian, Oriental and Mediterranean along with a live kitchen. The Brasserie Grill is known for signature cocktails by the pool and Imperial China for its authentic Chinese. The best news is that Hilton Premium Club discounts are applicable at all their restaurants.

We bought the membership a few months ago and have been very happy with our experience at the hotel and savings. I don’t think we’ve paid full price for dining out ever since we’ve bought the membership. Since it’s mostly the two of us, we always end up paying only half the bill all thanks to the 50% discount on the food bill for a table of two. We go out with friends pretty often as well and the membership offers up to a 33% discount on larger tables.

Not only is it good for dinners and luncheons but it comes in very handy while celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and other occasions. This year for my husband’s birthday I planned a surprise dinner for him at the hotel with a few friends followed by a night stay at the hotel. Since his birthday was on a Saturday, we were lucky enough to avail the Member’s Day discount of a 50% on the total food bill and a 20% on the beverage bill for a large table of up to 10 guests. Basically, even though we had 10 friends over for dinner, we ended up paying only for 5. A 20% is also applicable on alcoholic beverages.

The celebration came to a full circle with a complimentary chocolate cake and a bottle of wine. Try and tell me that you’ve heard of a saving like this before.

When it came to the room night, we obviously used our complimentary night stay certificate and stayed for free in a King Hilton Guest Room. The certificate was inclusive of a buffet breakfast for two at The Brasserie and free wifi service in the room.

The membership also entitles us to a few benefits at select Hilton properties across the country which we plan to avail during our travels.

I’d say this membership is worth thinking about.for more information click here.

KITTY PARTY LUNCH AT PARK HYATT HYDERABAD

My favourite spot in Hyderabad is The Dining Room at the Park Hyatt Hyderabad. My appreciation for the restaurant began only after I visited it a few times as a Club at the Hyatt member to avail discounts on the Kitty Party Lunch applicable every Monday and Tuesday.

I especially invested in a loyalty card for the Park Hyatt Hyderabad due to the fabulous discounts on food and beverage. My friends and I are regulars at the Kitty Party Lunch offering a 50% off on the food bill and a 20% off on the beverage bill for up to 15 ladies.

The Dining Room at the Park Hyatt Hyderabad has a theatrical open kitchen as its focal point offering the best of classics in Indian, Italian and Asian cuisine. It has one of the finest buffets in Banjara Hills serving Kebabs, Biryanis and more. We’ve already hit the Kitty Party Lunch thrice in the last three months only to find ourselves enjoying down mean proportions of authentic Hyderabadi biryani.

I must admit the Kitty Party Lunch is a huge opportunity to avail benefits and save big bucks when out with a large group, however their 50% off on food on a table of 2 is a benefit I find very inviting as well. Perfect for times you’d like to enjoy a romantic meal with your partner.

Listed below are a few key benefits of the membership:

1) A complimentary room night stay, meal, chocolate cake and wine.
2) Up to 50% off on meals, room rate and services at the spa

For a detailed list of benefits you can log on to their website clubatthehyatt

This is one of the most valuable memberships I’ve found in Hyderabad so far for more information click here.

Experience InterContinental Marine Drive Mumbai with Club Icon

InterContinental Marine Drive, located in the heart of the city's financial district in South Mumbai, is luxury at its best. Affording a sweeping view of the Arabian Sea and the Queen's Necklace, the hotel offers 58 well appointed Club Rooms and Suites. The hotel brings you CLUB ICON and offer a range of exciting dining of accommodation benefits.

Innovative dining options include Kebab Korner, the iconic Indian Grill & Kitchen, Long & Short: The GastroBar with cuisine inspired by street food from around the world and Dome, a multiple award-winning, internationally acclaimed Terrace Skybar. The InterContinental Marine Drive also offers Onyx, a customized banquet hall for conferences and social gatherings for up to 150 guests.The membership is available in two levels ie. Gold and Platinum. Each level offers an increment in benefits.

CLUB ICON MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

The membership offers an array of benefits including the following:

1. Enjoy upto a 50% discount each time you dine at a restaurant at the hotel.

2. Enjoy special Member’s Day discounts.

3. Enjoy a complimentary meal (set-menu) over lunch or a Sunday Brunch for two (2) guests at Long & Short and much more..

4. The Platinum Level also offers a complimentary room night stay and several discounted room night stay certificates.

Log on to hotelmemberships to know more or get in touch with an Executive for further assistance.

Experience at Taj Falaknuma Palace

Perched 2,000 feet above the city of Hyderabad is Taj Falaknuma Palace, a jewel amongst the clouds. This enchanting palace exudes romance and grandeur that take one back to when the Nizam ruled Hyderabad. Go on a sumptuous, gastronomic ride at the Indian fine-dining restaurant, Adaa, and savor multi-cuisine specialties at Celeste. Enjoy breakfast and afternoon tea on the Jade Terrace or private dinners at the terraced Gol Bungalow with a spectacular, heart-stopping night-time view of Hyderabad city.

Epicure is an extension of the Taj InnerCircle programme which allows frequent diners to earn and redeem points for Taj dining, relaxation and stay experiences at 250+ restaurants, 100+ bars, 80+ hotels and 60+ spas in India and other Taj destinations worldwide.

Benefits and Earning

l Embark on a culinary journey at Taj, Vivanta and The Gateway Hotels:

l Earn 25% in the form of points across all restaurants and bars.

l Members enjoy Happy Hours from 6pm – 8 pm at more than 100 participating bars.

Earn back 25% as points at 70+ spas..and much more.For more information click here.

Experience Taj Hotels with Epicure

The Taj Hotels Palaces Resorts Safaris by The Indian Hotels Company Limited presents to the connoisseurs of fine dining an exclusive programme - Epicure.

The next time you dine at any of their celebrated restaurants and stellar bars worldwide or relax at the widely recognized Jiva Spa , you will earn 25% of your dining and spa spends as Epicure Points. These Points can be redeemed to settle your dining bills or accumulated for future spends or a stay at the Taj hotel.

Epicure is one of the largest loyalty programme of its kind in the country offering the best in food, beverage, spa and point redemption!  Epicure offers its members the perfect opportunity to experience the best in Indian hospitality, service and luxury at 80 hotels in India and 16 hotels across the world.

TAJ EPICURE MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

1. Enjoy complimentary membership to Taj InnerCircle’s Silver Tier.

2. Points do not expire for active members. An active member is somone who has a valid unexpired membership.

3. Earn 25% on dining and spa across all restaurants, bars and spas worldwide.

4. Enjoy a complimentary room night stay at all hotels in India and Sri Lanka (except Grand Palaces and Safari Lodges). Blackout dates may apply.

5. Redeem vouchers offering 50% as points on the first three dining transactions and 2 room upgrades.

6. Happy Hours at all bars between 6 pm to 8 pm.

7. For more benefits click here..