Renaissance Hotels, part of Marriott International, Inc. has announced its sixth annual Global Day of Discovery will be held on Wednesday, May 17 at the brand’s 160 hotels around the world. Created to encourage business travelers to experience their “5 to 9” with as much vigor as they approach their “9 to 5”, Global Day of Discovery will spotlight hidden gems around the globe that give neighborhoods their soul: from underground art scenes to exotic local cuisines. Open to global guests and local residents, the worldwide celebration will also offer exclusive packages to Marriott Rewards members bookable with points for a limited time at Marriott Rewards Experiences Marketplace.
“For today’s business travelers, it is unexpected, Instagram-worthy experiences that create social currency and interesting cocktail conversation,” said George Fleck, Vice President, Global Brand Marketing & Management, Renaissance Hotels. “Knowing that today’s business brag is less about the predictable and more about the unusual, Renaissance Hotels is committed to bring the brand’s Business Unusual mantra to life and help guests capture these moments on Global Day of Discovery and beyond.”
Global Day of Discovery kicks off at each Renaissance Hotel with curated Business Unusual adventures brought to life by the hotel’s Navigator, who – counter to a typical concierge – knows a destination’s hidden gems and hand-picks local discoveries that cannot be found in a guidebook. For business travelers who may have 20 minutes, two hours or two weeks in a locale, the brand’s Navigators give guests a sense of the local neighborhood’s soul.
Among these events, the brand’s Global Navigator and four-time James Beard award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern will host Marriott Rewards members on a culinary expedition in Dubai, uncovering the under-discovered local cuisine of the United Arab Emirates, ahead of the highly-anticipated opening of Renaissance Downtown Hotel, Dubai later this year.
“My whole life has been a journey of discovery, traveling the world looking for the exotic, bizarre and unusual,” said Andrew Zimmern. “Renaissance embraces this passion as much as I do and echoes the notion that it is so important to try something new and get out of our comfort zone. I couldn’t be more excited to bring an unusual experience to new guests and local friends in Dubai for Global Day of Discovery.”