Frequent Miler's latest team challenge, Million Mile Madness, is almost done! The last two weeks Greg, Nick, and Stephen competed to earn 1 Million SAS miles by flying 15 airlines. But who completed the challenge with the most Speed, Affordability, and Style?
Marriott Bonvoy has announced a new set of initiatives dubbed “Work Anywhere with Marriott Bonvoy“. These new packages are aimed at drawing those working from home to work from Marriott hotels and resorts with three separate offers: one aimed at people looking to use a room as an office for the day, one for those looking to work and getaway for a night (with super early check-in and late check-out) and one for those looking to vacation with a family that includes supervised activities for kids. You may feel a sense of deja vu in that this sounds awfully similar to the Work from Hyatt packages currently being offered by Hyatt, and you wouldn’t be wrong, but nonetheless these are smart moves and potentially attractive packages.
All of the new packages include access to enhanced Wi-Fi and a number of other sensible work-from-the-hotel benefits. These rate packages can be booked via https://workanywhere.marriott.com/.
Day Pass
Marriott’s Day Pass will allow members to book a room to use as an office for the day, with check-in as early as 6am and check-out as late as 6pm. We’ve seen day use rates at some hotels in the past (Hilton actually offers day use bookings online), but the 6am-6pm timeframe is especially generous.
Additionally, Marriott Bonvoy members will receive a complimentary welcome amenity of healthy snacks, gift shop discounts, and Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador members will still enjoy lounge access where available and members get full use of business amenities – including things like print/copy/fax capabilities where available. You’ll even earn points on the rate (though, sadly, no elite nights).
Note that this Day Pass is only available in Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas, New York,
Toronto, London, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong right now. Marriott plans to expand availability to include Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.
Unfortunately, at first glance, prices don’t look particularly cheap for Day Pass. Rates like these look to me like they should be overnight rates in the current environment — or at least I would bet that you could get an overnight rate that includes elite night credit for not much more. 
Of course, you’re potentially get 12 hours of use out of the room and it’s not as though their cost in terms of cleaning the room is reduced. I just wish you could get elite credit for the stay.
Stay Pass
For those looking to stay overnight, you can enjoy all of the amenities included in the Day Pass above — including 6am check in and check out as late as 6pm on the day of departure — and also use of the gym and pool where available along with free breakfast and complimentary evening cocktails. Again, Platinum members and higher get lounge access and you can earn points and elite credit on the rate. Stay Pass is available at more than 2,000 properties worldwide.
Yet again, this sounds pretty nice, but unfortunately rates correspond with paying for the additional benefits. For instance, I looked up a Four Points property and as you can see the Work Anywhere Stay Pass rate is $120 per night, whereas the “standard” rate is $104, the prepaid rate is $95, and the AAA (flexible) rate is $93.
I guess in theory it is nice that they are offering to sell you the additional benefits which may otherwise just be unavailable for purchase (not sure you’d otherwise be able to secure 6am check in and 6pm check out for sure). But don’t think that this package is giving you a deal on those things necessarily.
Play Pass
Play Pass is available at participating luxury and resort hotels worldwide and includes “business concierge, supervised kids’ activities, preferred office/study spaces along with curated experiences for the whole family to enjoy.”
The marketing blurb for this says, “Finish your work poolside, then paper yourself at the spa while the kids enjoy the on-site activities.” Surely that will sound nice to some folks, though I’d personally be a little apprehensive about leaving my kids with hotel staff in the current environment.
Play Pass is available at select properties in destinations including Bali, Venice, Hawaii, Florida, California, Arizona, Cancun, Rio de Janeiro, Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt), Limassol (Cyprus), Koh Samui (Thailand), and Marabella and Tenerife (Spain). Obviously many of the international destinations will not be of immediate use to US-based members, though given Marriott’s global footprint they are surely marketing this to people based in those countries as well.
Unfortunately, prices are yet again quite inflated for this Play Pass package rate. I looked up a property in Florida and as you can see below, the Work Anywhere Play Pass offer is $384 per night — versus a standard rate of $327 per night or AAA rate of $317 per night.
Is it worth an extra sixty or seventy bucks a night for this list of benefits?
Additional Information
- Commissionable Rate
- Discover. have fun. enjoy learning. experience paradise.
- Package includes:
- Complimentary Breakfast Buffet for up to two children daily 12
- years and under.
- Complimentary Daily Access (Reservations required) to DISCOVER
- Quiet Learning Zone including High Speed Internet.
- Quiet Learning Zones: Available from 8:00 am- 11:00 pm daily,
- these private meeting spaces have been converted to intimate
- learning spaces ideal for self paced work, streaming
- educational classes and all types of virtual learning.
- Complimentary Self Paced Activities and Completion Prizes
- including Guided Shell Walks of Marco Island’s beautiful
- beaches, Local Marine Life Games, Marco Island History
- Challenges and much more, Specially designed to enhance both
- the fun and learning aspects of family vacation.
- List of Optional Field Trips for additional offsite fun and
- learning. This listing of both complimentary and additional
- charges apply. Field trips includes Rookery Bay Environmental
- Reserve, the Marco Island Historical Museum, the Golisano
- Children’s Museum of Naples, Naples Zoo and many more.
A lot of that stuff sounds like a pretty soft collection of benefits — and it isn’t clear what is free when it says the listing of both complimentary and additional charges apply.
Bottom line
I have to admit that in some ways these work-from-the-hotel packages are feeling more and more appealing on the surface, though I won’t personally be taking advantage of any of these both because I’m not interested in a hotel stay yet and because the rates look poor at first glance. Still, I could see where this could at least theoretically be particularly appealing for many people. I have lived in some pretty small apartments over the years where I wouldn’t have wanted to have been stuck day and night for months. I also become more sympathetic each day to parents who are adjusting to working from home with the kids at home. Given the right rate, a spacious environment free from distractions could really be appealing and given the relatively isolated nature of it likely fairly safe at least in terms of the Day Pass and Stay Pass. Unfortunately, based on my initial searches, the price just isn’t right to entice me – but YMMV.
Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
