Marriott Rewards Introduces FlashPerks & LocalPerks

Marriott is launching two ways to redeem points & cash, & access hotel-specific or local offers, to give “next generation travelers new ways to enjoy instant gratification”.

The first is FlashPerks, which gives Marriott Rewards members the choice to redeem points or cash for experiences and deals. For those familiar, at first glance it seems like it’ll be similar to SPG Moments. Launching July 17, Marriott Rewards will add 10-15 flash offers on their new website each week for 12 weeks that will be available for a limited time or until they sell out.

The flash offers will only be available on their new website – http://www.marriottrewardsflashperks.com/.

When you navigate there now it has a “coming soon” screen.

Here’s an example of how it might look once it launches –

One of the first offers will be 50% off Executive Suites at the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai (the world’s tallest hotel), plus 20% off at the spa and free lounge access. Another offer is for a two day test-drive of an Aston Martin, Lamborghini, or Porsche from Hertz Dream Cars in Miami, and the reported redemption amount will be 200,000 Marriott Rewards points.

LocalPerks will give members the ability to choose experiences during their hotel stays. Using Beacon technology the hotels will send guests push notifications on mobile devices with offers such as golf, food, and spa. Using geo-tracking when guests use the Marriott Mobile Guest Services app, Marriott foresees expanding the offers from just the hotel to local neighborhoods as well.

LocalPerks will celebrate the launch on July 24 at the San Diego Marriott Marquis and Marina, and guests will be invited to a LocalPerks Lounge from 2pm – 6pm, July 24 – 27, 2014. There will be complimentary snacks, access to iPads, a photo booth, charging stations, and extras.

The next LocalPerks locations will be the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront and Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, details tba.

After downloading the app, I got a message that it is available for use with stays at the following properties:

Baltimore Marriott Waterfront
Boston Marriott Copley Place
Charleston Marriott
Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
Cincinnati Marriott North
Denver Airport Marriott at
Gateway Park
Denver Marriott West
Grand Hotel Marriott Resort,
Golf Club & Spa
Indianapolis Marriott Downtown
Irvine Marriott
Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club & Spa
New York Marriott Downtown
San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina
San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront
Washington, DC Marriott Marquis

My guess is that these are the first round of properties where LocalPerks will be tried.

In the coming weeks, stay tuned for a promotion called “Make It Happen”. Special offers will be introduced via social media channels with quotation marks around the “It” to mean that members can jump on a deal.

I look forward to seeing the new portal once it is live.