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Marriott Bonvoy announces a Manchester United partnership – bid for experiences at Old Trafford

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Here is one I didn’t see coming.  Marriott Bonvoy, the loyalty scheme for Marriott, Sheraton, Westin, W, St Regis, Renaissance, The Ritz-Carlton etc, has just announced a new partnership with Manchester United.

Etihad is, of course, the core sponsor of Manchester City.  In London, Emirates is the core sponsor of Arsenal and makes seats, including VIP box seats, available for Skywards miles redemptions.  Malaysia Airlines sponsors Liverpool.

Marriott Bonvoy and Manchester United

What will Marriott Bonvoy offer with Manchester United?

Details are on the Manchester United website here.

It will offer “exclusive opportunities for once-in-a-lifetime Manchester United football experiences, including the chance to become the club’s Stadium Announcer or Kit Manager for the day”.

These are examples of what you will be able to bid for:

‘Stadium Announcer’ Experience – Marriott Bonvoy members will have the chance to go behind the scenes at the iconic ‘Theatre of Dreams,’ shadowing the stadium announcer with their pre-match preparations. Prior to the game, the member and a guest will soak up the atmosphere pitch side, before enjoying VIP hospitality, including match tickets and a meet and greet with a former player.

Welcome the Team on arrival at Old Trafford – Members and their guest arriving at Old Trafford on matchday will head pitch side to meet a Manchester United legend before making their way to the player’s tunnel to be in prime position to welcome the team as they step off the coach and head into the dressing room to prepare for the game.

‘Kit Manager’ Experience – Members will be able to add a final finesse to the home dressing room at Old Trafford pre-game as they shadow the first team Kit Manager. The member and a guest will help prepare the match kit ahead of the players’ arrival before heading pitchside to be met by a Manchester United Legend. After the hard work is done, the member will be able to sit back and relax whilst enjoying pre and post-match VIP hospitality.

The first packages are now available to bid for:

VIP hospitality and seats for Manchester Utd v Southampton 

VIP box seats with hospitality for Manchester Utd v Southampton 

“Kit manager” including VIP hospitality for Manchester Utd v Watford 

Your child is the Manchester Utd mascot for the game v Watford 

VIP box seats with hospitality for Manchester Utd v Watford

Shadow the stadium announcer plus VIP seats for Manchester Utd v Watford 

VIP box seats with hospitality for Manchester Utd v West Ham 

It is a shame that these are all auction items because it makes it difficult to plan too far in advance – hopefully a few direct ticket redemptions will be available in the future.  Given the global fan reach of Manchester United it seems a smart move by Marriott.

How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards

How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (December 2021)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card usually comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

American Express Marriott Bonvoy credit card

Marriott Bonvoy American Express

20,000 points sign-up bonus and 15 elite night credits Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Gold and MeliaRewards Gold status.  We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

American Express Platinum card Amex

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

You can also earn American Express Membership Rewards points with American Express Gold (20,000 bonus points), the American Express Rewards Credit Card (5,000 bonus points) and – for small business owners – American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus points) and Business Platinum (40,000 bonus points).

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points. 

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)

Category

Marriott Bonvoy

Comments (67)

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

  • youngtraveller says:
    20 Feb20 February 14:46

    just saw this and got excited! But I’m not great with maths if I am converting my Amex points to Bonvoy is it worth it?

    Also worth mentioning they do the same for Bayern Munich

    • Aaron says:
      20 Feb20 February 14:58

      VIP package for two are easily worth £1k – £2k. I’ll definitely give it a go!

  • xcalx says:
    20 Feb20 February 15:03

    Hopefully next season. MOT

  • Genghis says:
    20 Feb20 February 15:04

    So some of these packages are starting at 30k Marriott points. These are obtained from 20k Amex points, which could otherwise be converted to many things but let’s take avios as a benchmark, so 20k avios and at 1p val it’s £200. So the opening bid is £200. Are these packages worth £200 to you?

    • S**mo says:
      20 Feb20 February 15:22

      30k offering is about £400ish a ticket so £800 for two (not quite as good as the No.7 hospitality package)
      20k offering is about £250ish a ticket so £500 for two (Lancashire suite)

      • Rob says:
        20 Feb20 February 15:46

        The Arsenal packages in the Emirates Box are 20k per person for weak opposition. I consider this a very good deal – £200 if you value Amex points at 1p each, and it is THE best box in the stadium, right on the half-way line.

        It is also usually filled with HFP readers so I get to have some interesting chats too 🙂

  • xcalx says:
    20 Feb20 February 15:07

    Shame no training ground package could have had a peep the day before.

  • KMac says:
    20 Feb20 February 16:33

    What an absolute load of nonsense.

    I mean, it’s not as if the atmosphere is dreadful enough at these grounds without sanitising it any more.

    HfP to be the official points partner of MUFC?!

  • KMac says:
    20 Feb20 February 17:06

    Nope. The point is if I fly with an airline, I want the best/most luxurious experience – as anyone would want (subject to points/miles/status etc). Anyone would be the same – if they have the means to do it.

    Knocking out plastic experiences/chat with a Man Utd legend etc (I’m not anti Man Utd BTW and have been to OT) just makes a mockery of the football experience.

    It is what Roy Keane would call the ‘prawn sandwich brigade’. Granted, people will use it and see it as good value etc – but really???

    Anyone who enjoys such a sanitised experience vis a vis authenticity is only fuelling the fire that continues to destroy the great game.

    Airline luxury vs. football ‘luxury’ are two very different things.

    • Shoestring says:
      20 Feb20 February 17:13

      But you’re looking at it from Man Utd’s perspective (or from the perspective of ‘real’/ non-plastic supporters of Man Utd) – whereas I’m looking at it from Marriott Bonvoy’s perspective and what they get in return for their money.

      • Rob says:
        20 Feb20 February 17:15

        And someone needs to pay Jose’s £19.5m pay off (as per the Man U accounts published last week).

      • Michael Jennings says:
        21 Feb21 February 00:51

        Man U have lots of fans around the world. Someone from (say) Malaysia or Singapore for whom a trip to see a game at Old Trafford is a once in a lifetime thing rather than a regular thing will pay quite a lot of money for the experience, the hotel room, the match ticket etc, whereas regular supporters won’t. Man U and other top clubs make a lot of money from such people, as no doubt do Marriott’s hotels in Manchester. This is a very smart thing to promote.

        • John says:
          21 Feb21 February 08:02

          I don’t know who you know but supporters from Asia want to be in the stands with the actual fans, not the prawn sandwich types. Sure there will be some who like the hospitality boxes but you can get those experiences in Asia. If you don’t really support any particular club then Old Trafford or Emirates or WHL is nothing special to you. And if you are a real supporter with the means to travel to Europe, it won’t be a once in a lifetime thing, you would try to do it once a year.

    • Spurs Debs says:
      21 Feb21 February 07:01

      +1

      • Rui N. says:
        21 Feb21 February 10:01

        “And if you are a real supporter with the means to travel to Europe, it won’t be a once in a lifetime thing, you would try to do it once a year.”

        What?! I’m a really supporter of my club (back home), I’m home at least a couple times per year during the season, and only attend a game every other year, tops. Weird criteria that only a person with thousands of pounds to spend yearly on their club can be a “real supporter”.

  • Alex W says:
    20 Feb20 February 17:15

    ‘Stadium Announcer’ Experience – sounds like an absolutely priceless opportunity to heckle all the prawn sandwich munchers up there at Sold Trafford 😂

  • KMac says:
    20 Feb20 February 17:27

    I’m looking at it from a football fans perspective. I am not remotely interested in what Marriott get from it. Nor should you be – unless you work for them.

    I once went to Highbury in an exec box to watch Arsenal play Spurs at WHL. All very flash etc. Big screen. It was rubbish and arguably probably better in a pub. I’ve had better experiences in the conference. An awful experience, it was. Watching football behind glass whilst at the ‘event’ is laughable to real fans.

    It may well stack up in terms of points and so on, and may well represent value. But good luck to you if you take advantage of this. Yet another corporatism destroying the game.

    • Rob says:
      20 Feb20 February 17:36

      Arsenal isn’t watched from behind glass. You get standard (heated) seats in front of the box – best seats in the stadium (see my review). Box needs to have the curtains closed due to the laws on alcohol consumption.

    • mutley says:
      20 Feb20 February 17:40

      Unfortunately its the same in all major sports now, Rugby, cricket, tennis footy, golf, invaded by middle class prawn sandwich munchers, who have little or no affinity to the sport or team they are meant to be watching.

      • Spurs Debs says:
        21 Feb21 February 07:16

        Only good thing is if the day trippers are in corporate box they won’t be sat next to me talking nonsense. Not that I’ll be at OT obviously.

    • Waribai says:
      20 Feb20 February 18:03

      The ‘behind the glass” idea was a very poor concept designed by someone who clearly was not a football fan. It is not like that at the new WHL stadium. Each exec box has a private outdoor seating area. Nothing ever though beat the atmosphere of being in the Park Lane or the shelf side.

      • Spurs Debs says:
        21 Feb21 February 07:06

        Our new park lane 17.5 thousand of us, that’s going to be some atmosphere.

    • SimonW says:
      21 Feb21 February 07:59

      You went to Highbury to watch spurs play arsenal at WHL ? Not surprised it was dull if you were watching a game on TV from a ground miles away from the game.

    • Combatjohnny says:
      21 Feb21 February 08:41

      Dont pretend there is ever a decent atmosphere at arsenal!

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