Marriott and Starwood Are Giving Coachella's Safari Tents a Makeover
Music may be the main event at California's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, but that doesn't mean you should sacrifice comfort. And Marriott and Starwood understand that. When the festival returns this April for its 18th annual event, the iconic hotel brands will be the first to launch a takeover of eight of Coachella's onsite safari tents, giving them a first-class makeover.
Though each tent will be one-of-a-kind — each one will showcase the diversity of Marriott and Starwood's lifestyle brands, including AC Hotels by Marriott, Moxy, Renaissance Hotels, Autograph Collection Hotels, Aloft, Westin, Le Méridien and Tribute Portfolio — they'll all feature many of the same amenities you'd find in a full-service hotel, including private restrooms and showers, a concierge and air conditioning.
The glamping experience is being made available to all Starwood Preferred Guest, Marriott Rewards and Ritz-Carlton Rewards members during the second weekend of the festival (April 20–23, 2017) — but only via auction through the Marriott Rewards' Experiences Marketplace and SPG Moments websites. The bidding for each of the four SPG brand-themed tents (Aloft, Westin, Le Méridien and Tribute Portfolio) begins at 7,500 Starpoints, while bidding for the four Marriott brand-themed tents starts at 22,500 Marriott Rewards points. Note that you can only participate in each auction until 11:00am ET on April 6.
In addition to a true home-away-from home at Indio's Empire Polo Club, where the festival is held, guests will have access to special viewing areas (an important fact when you consider that Lady Gaga, Radiohead and Kendrick Lamar are among this year's headliners); private parking adjacent to the campsite; daily breakfast and late-night snacks; and golf cart transportation to and from the stages. Even if you're not able to snag one of these Shikar-style safari tents, Marriott will have its own sponsor tent at the event, where it'll be giving away trips to Bali and Portugal.
"Marriott's partnership with Coachella further demonstrates our commitment to music," Jennifer Utz Ilecki, Marriott's vice president of buzz marketing and global partnerships, said in a statement. "We're excited about bringing yet another 'industry first' to our loyal members, festival attendees and those who share our love of music."
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