Lately, I don’t know which end is up.  Not generally speaking, but around my house.  When the kids are out of school I sort of lose my mind between trying to work, entertain my youngest, be a mediator between the kids, and keep up with the dishes and laundry..my brain turns a little mushy in the summer.   Given that, I like to get away from home as much as possible in the summer.  Away from the dishes, laundry, and yard work.  I actually enjoy my job though so I take it with me wherever I go. 🙂

I’m always on the lookout for fun places to take the kids and recently got enough points through the Marriott Rewards® ambassador campaign I’m participating in to take my daughter and one of her friend’s on a girl’s trip to Marriott’s Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville.  I could make a long story short by telling you that Madelyn wants to live at Opryland, or any hotel for that matter, but I want to tell you why our experience at Opryland and other Marriott hotels we’ve stayed at this summer, has been so great.

When my daughter, her friend, and I arrived at Opryland after the from Atlanta, we were thrilled to see that there was a line for Marriott Rewards® Platinum Elite members… a SWEET reward after driving for 5 hours and hauling way too much luggage for three people, through the hotel.  Hallelujah!  The receptionist talked to us like she knew us and when she told us that our room was upgraded and gave us a $10 voucher to spend at the hotel, Marriott Rewards® Platinum Elite member perks, Madelyn just about “fainted”.  She rolled her eyes back and her jaw dropped.   I think she thought $10 was more like a million dollars. 😉

Our room was gorgeous.  It had a balcony and a view of the atrium.  The girl’s could have spent the entire trip on the balcony but after they learned that there were two pools, tons of shops, a frozen yogurt shop, and a boat ride, they practically ran out of the room.

During our stay at Opryland, a Marriott property we received excellent service.  I had to call the front desk a few times to ask about the indoor boat ride schedule and pool hours, and later about late check-out and each time I called I was greeted by name and overall pleasantry.

The Marriott Rewards member perk I appreciated the most during our stay was late checkout.  The girls and I stayed up pretty late swimming, shopping, and wandering around Opryland and it was really nice to know that we didn’t have to wake up early and rush to shower, eat breakfast and pack the morning of checkout.  You’ll definitely enjoy this perk!  As a Marriott Rewards® Platinum Elite member you’ll also get 48-Hour Guaranteed Availability, Platinum Exclusive Elite offers, dedicated Platinum reservation line, free wifi, and select Marriott properties offer Platinum Elite members free breakfast during their stay.

Watch my video below to hear about my experience as a Marriott Rewards® member

Go to Marriott.com/rewards to become a Marriott Rewards® member today, free!

Now that I’ve shared some of the benefits of being a Marriott Rewards® member with you I want to tell you about the Marriott Rewards® Year Of Surprises giveaway that is going on right now.  Marriott Rewards® is celebrating their 30th birthday with the Year of Surprises.com giveaway contest, during which you can nominate someone who deserves a vacation.  If the person you nominate wins, Marriott will throw them a huge surprise party/vacation!  Creative submissions are a must, so plan ahead!  The third round of nominations begins August 1st and ends August 31st, 2014.  Read more about the Year of Surprises contest and the yearofsurprises.com rules.

Enjoy earning points and rewards during your next Marriott stay!

– Alicia