It was time for one of my closest friends to get married and I had the most difficult task of finding the perfect wedding gift for him. I was sure that I wanted to get something that both of them could enjoy instead of something for their house or a gift item just for him.

I racked my brain to think of the best gifting options and zeroed in on a hotel membership. My friends are fond of good food, good wine and good travel, hence there couldn’t have been a better gift for them considering their lifestyle. I thought each time they used the membership, they will spend time together, enjoy the luxury hotel experience and will have a lot of good memories thanks to my gift. And it worked.

I asked a few other friends who frequently visit hotels to help me choose one membership from all the loyalty programs available in the market. The recommendations made it clear that I should pick a membership that is close to their home. They stay in Powai and the finest hotel complex near by was the Renaissance Mumbai, hence the answer was simple, the highly recommended Club Marriott membership. This is the food and beverage loyalty card from Marriott offering benefits at more than 300 Marriott hotels with over 1,000 restaurants across Asia Pacific.

I got them the membership from Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel fetching them a complimentary room stay, buffet breakfast, buffet lunch or dinner, chocolate cake, a bottle of House Wine and a huge line up of other discounted services. Due to the proximity to their home, I was hoping they’d be able to get full use of the membership benefits through frequent visits. Besides the Renaissance, Mumbai has four other gorgeous Marriott hotels at which participating hotel discounts can be availed – The Westin Mumbai Garden City, JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar, JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu and Courtyard Mumbai. If I’m not mistaken, the participating hotel benefits offer up to a 20% discount on accommodation and a 20% on the food and beverage bill.

Unlike most cards, the Club Marriott membership is valid across Asia Pacific. My friends had lined up a few travel plans to Australia and New Zealand soon after their wedding and were able to avail a 20% discount on their food and beverage bill and room stay during their visit as well as a 20% discount on weekend leisure rates at some Marriott hotels.

It was only after my friends came back from their travel did they tell me about the membership helping them cut a deal throughout their trips and how thankful they were for the gift. Now they are planning a trip to Goa with Club Marriott. It seems like the membership will take them through the 1st year of their wedding.

Not just for weddings, but I believe that the Club Marriott membership is the most thoughtful gift for any occasion. It’s like gifting people a year long of memories they can cherish forever.