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Marriott Bonvoy Moments is the successor to SPG Moments and is a program that allows Marriott Bonvoy members to spend their points on sports, concerts, and experiences at various arenas around the world and, in some circumstances, these can offer Bonvoy members a good alternative use for their points.
One venue at which Marriott holds a suite and at which Bonvoy points can be redeemed is the O2 arena in London (a venue which sits next to the InterContinental London – The O2 in North Greenwich), and I recently used some points to book a couple of seats at a sold-out show.
What your Bonvoy points get you at London’s O2
The last time I used points to visit the O2, Starwood and Marriott were still separate entities and the box in which I sat was held by SPG, so I was interested to see how things had changed in the intervening period.
Upon entering the O2 through the main doors, you’ll find the signs directing you to the boxes directly ahead of you and after you pass through the security check, the signs are clear and frequent (you’re looking for Suite 315).
The Bonvoy suite is on an upper level at the O2 (I think it’s level 3) and it’s located just a short walk away from the very large Qatar Airways suite (“The 93rd”).
Once inside the suite, you’re greeted by the suite staff who check your name against the list of expected attendees, and this is what you see:
To the right is a sofa, coffee table and armchair. To the left is the food service area (more on that a little later). And directly ahead are two bar-height tables with stools looking out into the arena.
At the back of the suite is a staffed bar where most drinks are complimentary (premium cocktails and higher-end drinks can be purchased).
And ahead of the bar seating at the front of the suite is where you’ll find the stadium seating from where guests get the best view of whatever it is they’ve come to see (you get two seats with every Bonvoy Moments experience in this suite).
There’s no requirement to sit here if you don’t want to (you can watch the performance from the bar stools if you wish), but the seats are comfortable and the legroom is adequate so this is a comfortable place to spend some time.
This is where the suite sits within the arena:
A wide-angle view of from the suite looks like this:
If you’re watching a performance where the stage is at one end of the area, this is what the standard camera view (which makes things look further away than they really are) looks like:
More realistically (i.e when viewed through human eyes and not a camera lens), this is what the view of the stage looks like:
As you can probably see, you’re not particularly close to the stage (although you’re closer than you were in the old SPG box) so while you get the full benefit of the atmosphere in the area from the Bonvoy suite, you’re likely to spend a lot of time looking at the O2’s giant screens rather than at the stage.
As I touched upon a little earlier, most drinks in the Bonvoy suite at the O2 are complementary and there’s no limit to the number of rinks that you can enjoy. A small complimentary buffet is also offered, and on this visit, this was the menu:
Hot dishes:
- Harissa spiced chicken with turmeric rice, charred broccoli, pomegranate seeds and a zhug dressing.
- Sweet potato falafel with roasted vegetables, couscous salad, and sumac yoghurt.
- Ras al hanout stuffed aubergines (eggplant) with Middle Eastern seasoned vegan mince and spiced tomato sauce.
Cold dishes:
- Spring tabbouleh with buckwheat, parsley, pomegranate, and lemon dressing.
- Watermelon and feta salad.
Sides:
- Houmous with chili roasted chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and olive oil.
- Khobez flatbread.
There’s a lot of foreign language and terms in that menu, but the key takeaway is that it was all delicious (it probably helped that I love Middle Eastern food) and there was more than enough to keep all the guests sated.
Dessert was also provided with the following on offer:
- Chocolate and orange brownie
- Raspberry red velvet cake
- Victoria sponge
- Lemon drizzle cake
In short, when visiting the Bonvoy suite at the O2, you probably don’t need to eat ahead of time.
Overall
I don’t use my points to purchase Bonvoy Moments very often but when I do I always feel that I get good value, and this experience was no different (although it wasn’t quite as good as seeing Queen at Madison Square Garden!).
Yes, you’re quite a way from the main stage when seated in the Bonvoy suite, but if you’re watching something that you wouldn’t have otherwise been able to watch (either because tickets are monumentally expensive or the show is sold out), that’s not a huge price to pay.
The staff in the suite are very nice, the food on offer on this visit was flavourful and satisfying, drinks are complimentary, and I didn’t have to fight my way through hundreds of people on my way to my seat*, so there’s a lot to like here and at the right price point, I would definitely come back.
*You will, however, have to battle the crowds on the way out because the suite closes very shortly after the show/performance/event has ended.
