Hotel groups forever loyal to the world of sport

While Accor, through its partnership with PSG and its involvement in hospitality for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, is flying the flag for French sport, other groups are also involved in the French sporting world in a more discreet way. Marriott, which shares Accor's concept of the building loyalty through exclusive experiences offered to its loyal customers, for example, is a sponsor of the basketball club Paris BasketballThis partnership offers premium access, including a "My Bonvoy All Star sofa" zone with guaranteed courtside seats at the Halle Georges-Carpentier. More recently, two of the group's hotels in Strasbourg - the Residence Inn and the Aloft Strasbourg Etoile - as well as the Marriott Bonvoy programme have become official partners of the city's tennis internationals, again with the possibility of VIP packages.

Alongside these local initiatives, Marriott Bonvoy also plays on partnerships with global visibility. Marriott and its Ritz-Carlton luxury brand are partners of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team. Hence the creation of "Bonvoy Moments", souvenirs that nothing can buy, such as a lap of the circuit at the wheel of a high-performance car driven by one of the team's drivers, behind-the-scenes access to the F1 Team during the race weekend, and a pyjama evening on the team's yacht during the Monaco Grand Prix.

The art of selling dreams, almost literally. In Manchester, the hotel group invited the winner of a worldwide competition to wake up in the stands of Old Trafford stadium on the morning of a Premier League match. The aptly named "theatre of dreams. As an official sponsor of Manchester United, the American group has built a whole host of Marriott Bonvoy Moments around this partnership, from travelling with the team to a European Cup match in Barcelona to taking a photo on the pitch during warm-up, visiting the backstage area of the stadium or watching a match sitting in a Marriott Bonvoy seat. With a club legend next to you for the duration of the match.

But it's obviously in the United States that the Bonvoy Moments reach is strongest, as Marriott is an official partner of the main American sports. Notably university basketball with the NCAA, but above all American football through its Courtyard by Marriot brand, which has been a partner of the NFL for 13 years. Last year, Marriott Bonvoy's 'This is Where We Fan' programme included the organisation of a Fansgiving dinner on the 50-yard line of the New York Giants' field, culminating in unique packages for Super Bowl LVII, the grand finale held earlier this year in Phoenix. These experiences included a styling session with one of the NFL's hottest players, access to the pitch or watching the game and its famous half-time show from the comfort of the dressing rooms.

In anticipation of the coming year, Marriott has also allowed a select few to watch the NFL draft in Kansas City from the Courtyard VIP Fan Zone. These are just some of the events that Marriott's loyal members can look forward to. ready to bid for a nice bundle of points to obtain the VIP passes on offer. As a partner of the McLaren Formula 1 team, Hilton estimated that 17 million points would be exchanged by Hilton Honors members in 2021 for McLaren experiences.

Without going as far as Accor or Marriott, Hilton's loyalty programme also offers exclusive deals, particularly in the sporting arena. This year's offer includes a VIP experience at the Miami Grand Prix in May with access to Pit Lane and two nights at the Diplomat Beach Resort, a Curio Collection by Hilton hotel close to the circuit. Next July, during the British Grand Prix, the lucky recipients will be staying in an even better location, with a Hilton Garden Inn with windows looking directly onto the circuit's straight.

A long-standing partner of McLaren Racing since 2005, the American group recently extended this association for several years, with the Hilton brand continuing to appear on the race cars. But the rise of social networks is also making it possible to cross-promotionsHilton's commitment to the sport is reflected in the way it promotes F1 to Hilton customers and Hilton to F1 fans. A recent video posted on Instagram showed driver Lando Norris driving a little boy to school. A privilege acquired thanks to his father's membership of Hilton Honors. The result: over two million views!

With sport, hotel groups are sure to win over their loyal or potential customers by playing on their passions. By being a partner of the DP World Tour and, above all, by being the official hotel of the Ryder Cup 2023, which will take place next autumn, Hilton is reaching out to the lucrative golf tourism market. The group is also reaching out to British customers by sponsoring The Ashes, the legendary cricket match between England and Australia, which will take place in Manchester in July. It's a logical partnership given that, as with the Silverstone Grand Prix, the hotelier has a Hilton Garden Inn right inside the stadium.

No doubt linked to its British origins, the IHG Group has forged close links with the world of rugbyIn the Pacific, with Rugby Australia and SANZAAR, the Southern Hemisphere's sports board, and in Europe, where the Group is a partner of European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), the organiser of the European Cups, until 2025. As part of this partnership, and in connection with the Group's development in FranceLast winter, members of the IHG One Rewards loyalty programme had access to an experiment with Antoine Dupontarguably the best player in the world today. A member of the IHG One Rewards had the chance to win two tickets for the Stade Toulousain-Munster match, including a behind-the-scenes tour of the Ernest Wallon stadium, as well as a signed football and a video personalised by the French team captain himself.

This is not the first time that IHG has played on the reputation of well-known sportsmen and women. Also a sponsor of the US Open tennis tournament in New York, last year the hotel group invited its guests to bid for VIP stays including matches on the Arthur Ashe court, but also in a suite at the Kimpton Eventi hotel, specially designed by Andy Roddick. The room was decorated with items selected by the former Flushing Meadows winner according to his travel routines. " Having travelled the world throughout my tennis career, I'm no stranger to spending many nights in hotels.explained the former world number 1. My collaboration with IHG Hotels & Resorts shows how I personalise my hotel experiences to recharge after an intense workout or rest after a busy day." .

In addition to the 'Guest How Andy Roddick Guests' offer, IHG also offered the chance to stay in another of the hotel's yellow ball-themed rooms, The IHG Racquet Room, with walls lined with tennis balls. It couldn't be more Instagrammable! Just like the Grand Slam suite at the Hilton New York Midtown, decorated on the theme of one of baseball's most famous teams, the New York Yankees. Free bathrobes, blankets, pillows and goodies, two free stadium tickets: the hotel is pulling out all the stops this summer to offer a truly local experience to tourists visiting New York. That's if you're prepared to pay around $1,400 per night. But is nothing too good, or too expensive, to indulge your passions?