Marriott International Family Travel Promotion – Nickelodeon Your Stay

When the kids are happy, it makes a mama happy. Marriott International is banking on this statement to make entire families happy with the launch of their family travel promotion “Nickelodeon Your Stay”. This special promotion starts July 1 through December 26, 2010 and will be available at nearly 2,000 participating hotels across seven Marriott brands.

I was able to get my hands on the actual items used during this promotion and have to admit that Marriott International has hit a home run with the “Nickelodeon Your Stay” family travel experience. Our entire neighborhood got in on the package opening action because the box sent to me included a picture of Dora the Explorer on the front. My kids are getting a bit older, but my 14 year old tore open the SpongeBob Squarepants 3-D craft and went to town putting it together. My daughter (age 12) pulled out her box of crayons and proceeded to color and play the games on the activity packet. My neighbor stopped by with her little ones ages three and five and I asked, “Who likes SpongeBob?”

The three year old froze in his tracks, took a deep breath and started screaming, “I do!” over and over. I thought the poor thing was going to hyperventilate. He was so happy as he walked back down the sidewalk holding his mom’s hand and carrying the SpongeBob pillowcase over his shoulder. His sister told me she was a big girl and needed the book so she could read to her little brother and she also claimed the Nickelodeon logo sunglasses.

Imagine how excited all the different age groups of kids will be when they experience some of these items while on vacation. Below are the details provided by Marriott International on what’s included with this promotion. Also, just so you know, this promotion is not available within a 150 mile radius of the Orlando, Florida area or in Quebec province. Be sure to check with your hotel and book your stay online through www.NickelodeonYourStay.com or call 877-NICK-STAY

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The Nickelodeon Your Stay offer will be available at Marriott brands, including JW Marriott, Marriott, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Residence Inn, Springhill Suites and TownePlace Suites. During the promotional period, kids staying at any of the almost 2,000 participating Marriott locations offering this program will receive a free bracelet with an online code (url) to an exclusive SpongeBob SquarePants branded game on Nick.com; a book full of activities such as mazes and brain teasers; and Nickelodeon activity placemats during meal times.

Additionally, parents can upgrade their experience by booking a Nickelodeon Your Stay package. At Courtyard, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites and SpringHill Suites hotels, the items ($10 if purchased at the front desk) will include a SpongeBob SquarePants activity bag, a brightly colored splash ball, Nickelodeon sun glasses and a 3-D “build-your-own SpongeBob” craft.

At Marriott and JW Marriott hotels, the Nickelodeon Your Stay promotion costs $20 if purchased at the

front desk, and also includes a SpongeBob pillowcase and a travel-themed SpongeBob storybook at turndown.

“This is a very exciting family travel promotion and by working with Nickelodeon we hope to provide a memorable and delightful stay experience for kids,” said Peggy Fang Roe, Marriott’s vice president of brand management. “After extensive research with families, we have designed this promotion with simple touches to make travel a little easier for parents and more fun for kids.”

She added, “the Nickelodeon Your Stay at Marriott promotion was created to help alleviate the five areas that parents said were most stressful when traveling with kids, specifically planning, arrival, down time, meal time and bedtime. Most importantly, parents said their happiness on trips was a direct result of how happy their kids were on the trip.”

“The Nickelodeon Your Stay promotion allows kids to experience the Nick brand through entertaining and practical premiums,” said Stuart Rosenstein, Senior Vice President, Nickelodeon Recreation. “Marriott brands are great vacation destinations for families and this new promotion will help kids extend their experience with Nick-themed items they can take home.”

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What do you think of this family travel promotion? Love it? Hate it? Does this offer give you an incentive to book a Marriott International property over another hotel? We want to know.