MGM/Marriott Auction to Program Bellagio Fountains Accepting Bids

Posted on: March 7, 2024, 05:55h. 

Last updated on: March 8, 2024, 10:36h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas.

The opportunity to choreograph your own Bellagio dancing fountains show is one of three Las Vegas experiences up for bid using hotel loyalty points. The auction is being staged by Marriott International to promote its new licensing partnership with MGM Mirage.

The Bellagio fountains
The Bellagio fountains, which were recently halted by the landing of a rare bird in the fake lake, are part of a new auction via a partnership with Marriott hotels. (Image: Wikipedia)

The person bidding the most points will get to choose a song and then visit WET, the L.A.-based designer of the fountain shows, to create patterns for the 1,000 water fountains to follow. The winner and five friends will then be flown to Las Vegas to view the show in person. The package includes a two-night stay at the SLS Beverly Hills and three nights in a Bellagio penthouse.

The current bid for the experience is 702,500 points (approximately $6,322).

Also up for grabs in the “Marriott Bonvoy Moments” auction are behind-the-scenes tours of Cirque du Soleil’s “O,” “Ka,” “Michael Jackson ONE,” and “Mad Apple” productions (current bid: 300K points), in addition to an “Ultimate Golf Weekend” that includes a round at MGM’s exclusive Shadow Creek Golf Course in North Las Vegas with “your own personal caddies,” a VIP suite at Topgolf at MGM Grand, and a three-night stay in a Sky Suite at Aria (current bid: 672,500 points).

Fountain of Untruth

According to the Marriott’s website, this is the “first time in its 25-year history” that the Bellagio is allowing an outsider to program its fountains.

That’s not true. In 2012, a similar opportunity was offered through WET for $500K. And in 2017, another similar opportunity, including song choice but not choreography, was offered for $250K.

The partnership between Marriott’s program, which has about 182 million members, and MGM’s, which has 40 million, was announced back in July, with a planned launch date last fall. While no reason was given for the delay, hotel industry observers suspect that the September cyberattacks were the culprit.

Members of MGM Rewards who link their memberships to Marriott’s program can bid on the auction items here. All bidding ends April 4.