Most individuals spend their hard-earned resort factors on, nicely, accommodations. Atlanta-based accountant Scott Krupa spent greater than 2.4 million Marriott Bonvoy factors on the Bellagio Las Vegas Hotel and Casino for an opportunity to choreograph his personal Fountains of Bellagio efficiency, a water present with lights and music that takes place on the fountains exterior of the enduring Las Vegas Strip resort.
Set to the music “Lovely Day” by U2, his choreography debuted in August 2024 and now joins a rotation of 40 attainable fountain reveals that run each 15 to half-hour each afternoon and night.
How Krupa redeemed factors for the Bellagio fountain present
(Photograph courtesy of Marriott)
Krupa exchanged his factors via the Marriott Bonvoy Moments program, which permits members to redeem for experiences like live performance and sporting occasion tickets. Some experiences promote at mounted costs, whereas others — just like the fountain present expertise — contain a bidding system.
Krupa stated bidding for this expertise was open for almost two months. 5 minutes earlier than closing, it was going for simply 1.3 million Bonvoys. However inside the previous couple of minutes, it went up by greater than 1 million factors.
“I knew this was really the one [experience] I needed to do,” Krupa says. “I used to be ready to bid as a lot as I had.”
NerdWallet values 2.4 million Marriott Bonvoy factors. That locations Krupa’s successful bid at about $21,600.
How Krupa earned 2 million Marriott factors
Krupa says that, whereas he holidays greater than most individuals, he’s not obsessive about earning Bonvoy points. He says he’s been charging most of his purchases to a Marriott-branded bank card for years, however he’s not a travel hacker who consistently churns credit cards to maximise welcome provides.
Krupa stated he thought of saving his factors to journey throughout retirement or redeeming his factors for one more Marriott Bonvoy Moments package deal, resembling a keep in Monaco for the Monaco Grand Prix, an annual System One motor racing occasion.
“I’d been ready for the correct factor to bid on — one thing that no variety of cellphone calls and no sum of money may purchase,” Krupa says. “The Bellagio present was the correct one.”
What goes into making a customized Bellagio fountain present
(Photograph courtesy of Marriott)
Choreographing a Bellagio fountain present is extremely complicated. Present choreographers account for technical challenges, just like the time wanted to refill the tubes with enough air strain to shoot the water into the sky. Songs are damaged up into millisecond segments, with each water and lightweight movement meticulously deliberate.
To choreograph the present, Krupa flew to the Los Angeles studio of WET, which is the water characteristic design agency behind the Bellagio present. It’s additionally the workforce behind different well-known water installations, such because the HSBC Rain Vortex at Jewel Changi Airport, which is commonly thought of one of the best airport on this planet.
Krupa lined his personal airfare, however the Bonvoy Second he bid on included a resort keep in Los Angeles, a personal tour of the studios and a piece session with the WET workforce to choreograph the present.
As soon as the present was prepared for debut, Krupa and his fiance flew to Las Vegas. Marriott lined the resort keep and a tour of the mechanical room beneath the 8.5-acre lake the place the present takes place.
“That is the form of expertise that actually defines one in a lifetime alternative,” he says.
And whereas Krupa says he was prepared to spend each final level to his title, he didn’t must.
“Let’s simply say I didn’t spend all of them,” he says. “Now I’m saving once more for one more Bonvoy Second.”
Extra From NerdWallet
The article What to Do With 2 Million Marriott Factors? Get a Bellagio Fountain Present initially appeared on NerdWallet.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the creator and don’t essentially mirror these of Nasdaq, Inc.
