Team GSTP got a first-hand, sneak peek of the launch of Fairmont and Accor Live Limitless’ (Accor’s loyalty program) new “Beyond Limits” program at the Fairmont Mayakoba last week, and this could be a gamechanger in the travel industry! At the very least, it’s fun, cool and a bit different.
While many travel brands come up with unique experiences for their customers and loyalty members to take advantage of, most of these are very limited in quantity or are too costly for the average traveler to be able to take part in.
Accor and Fairmont’s Beyond Limits program is a collection of 8 first-of-their-kind experiences available exclusively to guests staying at iconic Fairmont properties in Los Angeles, Hawaii, Seattle, Scottsdale, Mexico and Canada.
With numerous dates slated for each of the locations, and reasonable pricing considering the production value of the experiences offered, Beyond Limits makes the extraordinary much more attainable and accessible to the everyday traveler.
The program has been meticulously curated and aims, according to Accor’s press release, “to defy convention, shatter the boundaries of expectation, and elevate the luxury experience beyond what was previously thought possible.”
In addition, each immersive experience is as “unexpected as it is unforgettable,” and is thoughtfully crafted to take you on “a journey of discovery to help travelers find something new within the destination, the hotel and themselves.”
Beyond Limits’ kicks off this month, with the following signature, limited-time experiences slated through March 2023:
- Symphony in a Cenote | In the lush Mexican jungle, Fairmont Mayakoba reimagines one of Riviera Maya’s famous limestone caves as a spectacular candlelit concert hall | November 2022 & January 2023 ($250 per person)
- NOTE: GSTP previewed this incredible event last week and more details about the experience can be found below!
- Pauoa Bay Underwater Ballet | Guests at Fairmont Orchid in Hawaii will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to dive into a magical underwater world and witness a daring, mesmerizing live ballet performance beneath the sea | February 2023 ($175 per person)
- The Vertical Stage | Fairmont Century Plaza transforms its famed Los Angeles façade into the world’s first 19-story vertical dance floor for a troupe of gravity-defying performance artists | Early 2023 (Pricing TBD)
- Fire & Ice | In a tiny log cabin, at the edge of frozen Lake Louise, surrounded for miles by nothing but Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and a wintry snowscape, a master chef delivers an exclusive, intimate fireside culinary experience for only 10 guests at a time, which is inspired by the Japanese cooking style of Robatayaki | January & February 2023 (Pricing TBD)
- Haute O2 | High in the Canadian Rockies, where the air is pure and the views extend as far as the eye can see, Fairmont Banff Springs is popping up a cliffside oxygen bar at 7,000 feet, accessible exclusively to just 8 guests per day, to refresh the mind, body and soul | January 2023 ($375 per person)
- Enchanted Forest | Perched atop Fairmont Waterfront’s garden terrace with majestic views of downtown Vancouver and the city’s stunning harbor, awaits a world of fantasy, a magnificent forest overflowing with verdant sprawling trees, a dreamy musical performance, and a hint of magic | Early 2023 ($113 per person)
- Après Scottsdale | In the heart of the Sonoran Desert, sits an unexpected luxury winter chateau, nestled amidst the ultimate holiday playground at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess; entry is only granted to a select few adults, who choose to celebrate the holidays with more grown-up pursuits, from culinary delights to the finest sparkling champagne | November & December 2023 (Table for 2: $399 – $599; Table for 4: $799 – $1,199)
- Tea Noir | At the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle, this playfully dark twist on high tea promises a journey through tea-infused sensorial delights, from savory to sweet, with a dash of spice, worthy of slipping into something a little glam | November 2022 through March 2023 ($70 per person)
Fairmont Mayakoba’s Symphony in a Cenote
First things first… WOW! – Just WOW! I have traveled to over 80 countries, seen some of the most out-of-this-world sites, and have stayed at more 5 star hotels than I can even recall, and Fairmont Mayakoba’s Symphony in a Cenote is easily in the top 10 best travel experiences of my life!
After a delicious dinner at the hotel’s La Laguna restaurant – complete with a floating mariachi band serenade – the hotel whisked guests away on a luxury, chauffeured van for the one hour ride from Mayakoba to Playa del Carmen’s Rio Secreto.
Considering that standard tourist access during the day to Rio Secreto starts at $80, the $250 price tag of the experience is a no-brainer, since dinner, transport, cocktails, champagne and canapes are all included in the Symphony in a Cenote pricing.
In addition, Rio Secreto is not open to the public at night, so this makes the event even that much more exclusive and intimate than what the average traveler is able to experience.
Once you arrive at Rio Secreto, a beautifully adorned candlelit path through the jungle leads you to the opening of the cenote. As you descend the cavernous passageways, awe-inspiring subterranean chambers await.
Dating back millions of years, the cenote is full of jaw-dropping stalactites and stalagmites, which glow among the twinkling lights that lead you deeper into the earth. Once you reach the heart of the cave,
Beyond Limits guests will sip on Moet and Chandon and the finest of top-shelf cocktails, all while indulging in delectable canapes and sweet treats. ALL and Fairmont Mayakoba then take you on a musical journey like no other with a set list of 14 songs, which melodically reverberate off of the luminous cavern walls.
It’s truly an experience like no other, and if Symphony in a Cenote sets the bar for the other 8 Beyond Limits events, then this program is definitely something you should consider looking into!
Personally, it makes me very eager to figure out how I can rearrange my upcoming travel schedule, and to book at a Fairmont before Beyond Limits ends in March 2023, as there are some truly epic experiences that are still slated for the coming months.
ALL Beyond Limits 25% off promo
To help guests travel “Beyond Limits,” Accor is also offering up to 25% savings for bookings made by March 29, 2023, and for stays through April 30, 2023 (FYI discount may vary by property), at participating Fairmont, Sofitel, Swissôtel, MGallery, Pullman, Novotel and ibis hotels across North & Central America. As always, ALL loyalty members will save more, with a special rate that delivers an additional 5% off.
Accor ALL
Accor’s ALL Loyalty Program
ALL points are very simple to redeem: every 1,000 points is worth €20 toward any stay. 6,000 points are therefore worth €120 towards any stay with one of the chain’s many brands. If your stay takes place in a different currency, you get that value converted into local currency.
There’s no arbitrage, like with some other points programs, but with frequent bonuses on earning, and dependably easy ways to redeem, GSTP is a fan of the program.
With the current exchange rate, €120 is worth $120 or £105, so 6,000 points would get you $120 or £105 off a bill at any global Accor property, which includes all Fairmont’s, Sofitel, Raffles, Banyan Tree and many more.
Unlike many hotel loyalty programs, the nice thing is that ALL points can go toward the cost of a room, cover a room entirely, or just go toward the folio when checking out, in case you run up a tab!
Final Thoughts: ALL’s New Experiences
Fairmont and ALL have hit a home run with the launch of their new Beyond Limits program, and I for one can’t wait to check out more of their upcoming experiences!
Personally, Accor’s loyalty program and hotel chains haven’t really been on my radar when booking my personal travel, but the Fairmont Mayakoba’s Symphony in a Cenote experience has totally converted me into a huge fan of the brand, and ALL properties will 100% be at the top of my list moving forward when making future travel arrangements.
If you happen to be making upcoming travel plans for this winter or if you’ll be in any of the above Beyond Limits locations in the coming months, then it is a no-brainer to check out these experiences and see if you can score a booking.
Travel is all about enjoying experiences out of the ordinary and to indulge in the extraordinary, and Fairmont and ALL’s Beyond Limits program is definitely delivering on that promise!
It’s nice when everything is free for bloggers?
Look, I’m going to put this to bed here very quickly. I and many who play a role at GSTP travel almost full time on their own dime. If anything, these sort of trips can be an inconvenience. They require massive amounts of time, with little downtime to actually produce or create things which drive value. When there’s something interesting or important, we make a gut call. I’m a big fan of ALL and Accor and think they’re onto good things, so Ceci came and took it in. These things where the events are sold out, or otherwise unavailable (such as inaugural flights) are where we make exceptions. I just don’t get the angst.
To Jm’s point – The over-the-top effusiveness of the post smacks of paid promotion.
“[T]his could be a gamechanger in the travel industry”? Come on now. You cannot be serious. Really. My eyes nearly rolled out of my head when I read that line.
“While many travel brands come up with unique experiences for their customers and loyalty members to take advantage of, most of these are very limited in quantity or are too costly for the average traveler to be able to take part in.” Did you forget the next sentence: “The same is true of Fairmont’s new experiences”? Seriously, one of these is a $375 per person oxygen bar open to 8 guests per day. And certainly all of them (like Fairmonts in general) are too costly for the average traveler.
I’ll admit the Symphony in a Cenote looks lovely and is what I’d consider to be reasonably price (though, again, not affordable for the average traveler). Although… is that just a string octet performing the music? Looks like a lovely cocktail reception, but symphony is a stretch.
If it’s woke, then it’s a joke.
Looks a little frou-frou to me.
Keep hoping Chase brings back the Fairmont card. We got eight nights total out of it.
Yeah, I’d love that Card back too!