How Do You Celebrate?

I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Millennial Central for Marriott Rewards. I received Marriott Points to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

For my 16th Birthday I wanted to celebrate, I mean what girl doesn't want a Sweet 16?  After going to so many big parties though, I knew they weren't for me.  I felt like ever party I went to everyone was having a great time, except the birthday girl, she was always stressed about something, which I did not want.  I instead decided that I wanted to spend a weekend in New York City.  

Snapshots of pages from my "Sweet 16" Scrapbooks:

Growing up staying in Marriott's every time I went on vacation, I knew the best place to was stay for this weekend was the New York Marriott Downtown, & I was not wrong.  The people at the Marriott could not have been nicer, & worked so hard to ensure that I had a great stay, they even had some fun presents for me--chocolates when I checked in & a gift basket in the room, which made me so happy.  I truly felt like a princess for my Sweet 16 thanks to their hard work!  Even though I may have taken the wrong friends with me (that's a whole other story), everything at the Marriott was perfect, & left my mom & I with memories to last a lifetime.

 

While I turned 16 back in 2008, this year Marriott Rewards® turns 30!  For its big birthday festivities Marriott Rewards® is  celebrating with all of its members for the entire year with Year of Surprises.  This means that for the big 3-0 Marriott Rewards® wants to celebrate by throwing your special someone a surprise party he or she will never forget.  Who wouldn't want to honor an extraordinary person in their life like this?!
What Marriott Rewards® wants to know is who that special someone is!  They want you to tell them who you want to celebrate & why they deserve to be celebrated.  They want to you to get creative, make them laugh, make them cry, make them smile, make them understand why that person is so special to you & why they deserve a super surprise party.  Head on over to yearofsurprises.com to share your unique story.
The first round of nominations for Year of Surprises are taking place from February 1st to February 28th.  These nominations are being viewed on just how awesome your application is; they want unique stories & original (but feasible!) party ideas.  Tell them about your Mom's big birthday, your sister's graduation from college, or your Dad's retirement!  We all have these big milestone moments & I know I would love celebrate them with a big party & have someone else pick up the check! (I know I'm not alone on that!)
So what happens is after all the nominations are in & the awesome people over at yearofsurprises.com pick their winners (yes winners!), three people will be awarded & announced in March, & parties will be scheduled each month throughout the year.  In case February is a busy month for you, there are 3 different opportunities (February, May, & August) throughout the year to nominate your loved ones for this amazing opportunity!  Just remember that there is only one entry per person, as we want everyone to have a fair chance (for all the other official rules check out yearofsurprises.com/rules).  Because of this great contest I have become a Marriott Rewards® Ambassador, which is something I am so excited about!  I have 2 more posts with them coming up in the next 6 months, so no fear I will be around to remind you if you get busy & forget about this opportunity that is not to be missed.  
As I said before, I grew up staying in Marriott's.  I grew up with a father who traveled for work, & I always remembered him talking about these mysterious 'hotel points' he earned.  When I was little I thought the points were magic because I knew he would redeem them for hotel rooms for us when we went on vacation.  

Top Left: On the deck of the Kaua'i Marriott Resort  /  Bottom Left: In bed in the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa Right: In the lobby of the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront
Fast forward to today & I now know that these magic points were actually Marriott Rewards® points, but to be honest they still feel like they are magical!  Here's why:
"Voted “Program of the Year” 6 years in a row, Marriott Rewards has maintained excellence rewarding members with points to redeem for hotel stays, flights, exclusive events and shopping.  Marriott Rewards has maintained excellence rewarding members with points to redeem for hotel stays, flights, exclusive events, and shopping. Through their membership, guests earn status to receive memorable experiences during their hotel stays with benefits such as priority check-in and complimentary room upgrades."
The best part is, is that Marriott Rewards® is free to join.  Members can earn & redeem points at 3,700 hotels in 14 distinctive brands in 70+ countries around the world.  Members can also redeem points for frequent flyer miles, cruises, car rentals, merchandise & more.  Needless to say I now have my own Marriott Rewards® account, which gives me the chance to earn my own magic points!  You too can enroll right here at marriott.com/rewards & should get on that ASAP!  The points you earn will give you the chance to create memories at Marriott like the ones I have from my super Sweet 16!
Now I know I've thrown a lot at you, but this is some seriously good stuff!  I've got to get going though because I've got to decide who I'm nominating for the Year of Surprises, although I have a pretty good idea already!  Who will you be nominating?  (Make sure to  only tell me if you know they won't be reading along!!)

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