HONG KONG, CHINA - Media OutReach^[1] - March 27, 2018 - Marriott International has ignited the engine on its third sponsorship of the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Sevens (April 6 -- 8), Hong Kong's biggest sporting event, pulling into the city with a themed pop-up experience at the Sevens Festival at Lee Gardens, aimed at giving members of its best-in-class loyalty program (now combining Marriott Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards)a stirring local story to tell with each dish they sample from March 30.

Over the course of two consecutive weekends (March 30 -- April 2) and (April 6 -- 8), the general public and rugby fans will get a chance to taste 10 crowd-pleasing dishes at Marriott International's pop-up experience at the Sevens Festival at Lee Gardens.

The pop-up culinary experience gives each rugby fan, international visitor and local Hong Konger a unique taste that has shaped the city, while encouraging the sharing of their stories as they travel brilliantly across the globe using their best-in-class loyalty cards that offer exclusive access to major international culinary, lifestyle, entertainment and sports events.

Award-winning chefs from Renaissance  Harbour View Hotel Hong Kong, Hong Kong Skycity Marriott Hotel and Courtyard by Marriott Hong Kong Shatin will showcase their talents and stories through much-loved local dishes using fresh ingredients.

"Great food is one of the best ways to bring people together anywhere in the world and nowhere is this more apparent than Hong Kong," said Ralph Frehner, Vice President, Food and Beverage, Asia-Pacific, Marriott International. "This unique local food experience will help to amplify memories of Hong Kong's best-loved international sporting event."

Over the course of two consecutive weekends (March 30 -- April 2) and (April 6 -- 8), the general public and rugby fans will get a chance to taste ten crowd-pleasing dishes representing Hong Kong's local flavours:

Executive Chinese Chef Suen Kam Sing of Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel

Salt Baked Chicken Thigh ($60) is a signature dish of the Hakka people who settled in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Often enjoyed as a tea time favourite, visitors to the Lee Gardens pop up will be able to enjoy this traditional specialty created by Dynasty in a new way.

Mini Crabmeat Tart ($60 for two) -- a delightful play on the signature dish from award-winning Dynasty restaurant has been reinvented for the urban food truck.

Dynasty's fragrant blended house tea is creatively reinterpreted into two elevated desserts: Iced House Blend Tea Smoothie ($45) and House Blend Tea Panna Cotta with Kumquate Compote ($55).  

Executive Chinese Chef Leong Kit Man of Skycity Marriott Hotel

Reinterpreting classic Cantonese dishes, Black Pepper Wagyu Beef ($65) and Sautéed Prawns with Arrowhead Mushrooms in a rich bean curd sauce ($50), these skewers are grilled to perfection and easy to eat whilst enjoying the outdoor festival.

Specially crafted cocktail beverages on offer include Pinecurrant ($28) -- a refreshing blend of Ribena, Fresh Pineapple Juice and Chopped Pineapple. Ribena has been enjoyed by Hong Kong children for generations since it was introduced into the city 80 years ago.

Executive Chef Wan Kam Wai of Courtyard by Marriott Hong Kong Shatin

Fried Chicken ($48) is an international street food calling card and Hong Kong does not disappoint with its version served with a choice of one of three sauces -- Chinese Spice, Fermented Red Bean Curd and Citrus and Pomelo Citron.

There's also an homage to Hong Kong's maritime spirit with the Typhoon Shelter Style Fried Pork Shank ($40), rich with nutty garlic, black beans and a hint of spice.

Courtyard by Marriott Hong Kong Shatin will also be showcasing a signature mocktail R7 ($32).  With 'R' representing 'rugby', this refreshing blend includes homemade hawthorn berries and kumquat puree blended with Rose tea, cranberry juice and 7-Up.

For even more excitement at the street festival, the Marriott pop-up themed space will also be placed next to an exciting aquarium prize grab game (teasing guests to the upcoming opening of Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel later this year) for visitors to sign up for the loyalty program and start their journey to experience exclusive benefits and discover how #membersgetmore.

The Hong Kong Sevens is just one of several initiatives in Asia Pacific where members have exclusive access to major culinary, lifestyle, sport and entertainment events. The sponsorship by Marriott's best-in-class loyalty program featuring Marriott Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards, also includes invitation-only access to the Marriott Executive Suite at the Sevens, the evergreen pre-game concert featuring UB40, as well as opportunities to win tickets online via a fun Facebook game. Video surprises are also being planned with the superstar French international rugby player Sebastien Chabal.

Please download high-resolution images here:http://bit.ly/2DIG10z^[2]

About Marriott Rewards

Marriott International's award-winning loyalty program -- Marriott Rewards -- spans 18 unique and iconic global brands and nearly 4,800 distinctive properties. Members of Marriott Rewards® - which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® - can link their accounts with Starwood Preferred Guest® at members.marriott.com^[3] for expanded benefits including instant elite status matching and unlimited points transfer across portfolios. When members book their stays on Marriott.com^[4] or the Marriott Mobile app^[5], they earn loyalty points, enjoy the advantage of exclusive Member Rates^[6], our lowest available rates, and gain an elevated stay experience with free Wi-Fi, mobile check-in and checkout, and Mobile Service Requests wherever available.  The hugely popular Marriott Rewards has won the Freddie Award for "Hotel Program of the Year--Americas" nine consecutive years as chosen by frequent travelers. Marriott Rewards is free to join and has no blackout dates. To enroll and for more information about the program, guests may visit. Connect with Marriott Rewards on Facebook^[7], Twitter^[8] and Instagram^[9].

About Starwood Preferred Guest

Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG®) is an innovative, award-winning frequent traveler program that unites 11 luxury and distinctive hotel brands in more than 1,400 properties in 127 countries and territories around the world. SPG reinvented the hospitality loyalty landscape when it launched in 1999 with its breakthrough policy of no blackout dates, and over the years has continued its tradition of innovation with enhancements such as Cash + Points, Your24™, SPG Lifetime™, SPG Moments and 4 p.m. late checkout when available. SPG also offers the opportunity for meeting and travel professionals to earn rich rewards including Starpoints and elite status through SPG Pro. SPG has an ongoing commitment to meeting the needs of today's connected global traveler by leveraging must-have mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android that utilize state-aware technology^[10] to create a more personalized hotel stay. All of this has helped SPG build a passionate member base among the world's most frequent travelers. Learn more about the #spglife atspg.com^[11],spg.com/pro^[12] andspg.com/moments^[13] and connect with us onFacebook^[14],Twitter^[15] andInstagram^[16]. SPG members can now also link their accounts with Marriott Rewards® - which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® - for instant elite status matching and unlimited points transfer atspg.com/Marriott^[17].

About Ritz-Carlton Rewards

The Ritz-Carlton Rewards is the loyalty program of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., of Chevy Chase, Md., which currently operates over 90 hotels and resorts in 31 countries and territories. Members can earn and redeem points at participating The Ritz-Carlton and Marriott International properties worldwide. Members of Marriott Rewards® - which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® - can link their accounts with Starwood Preferred Guest® at members.marriott.com for expanded benefits including instant elite status matching and unlimited points transfer across portfolios. For more information, or reservations, visit the company web site at www.ritzcarlton.com The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR).

References

1. ^{^} Media OutReach (www.media-outreach.com)
2. ^{^} http://bit.ly/2DIG10z (bit.ly)
3. ^{^} members.marriott.com (members.marriott.com)
4. ^{^} Marriott.com (marriott.com)
5. ^{^} Marriott Mobile app (mobileapp.marriott.com)
6. ^{^} Member Rates (www.marriott.com)
7. ^{^} Facebook (www.facebook.com)
8. ^{^} Twitter (twitter.com)
9. ^{^} Instagram (www.instagram.com)
10. ^{^} state-aware technology (www.media-outreach.com)
11. ^{^} spg.com (cts.businesswire.com)
12. ^{^} spg.com/pro (cts.businesswire.com)
13. ^{^} spg.com/moments (cts.businesswire.com)
14. ^{^} Facebook (www.facebook.com)
15. ^{^} Twitter (twitter.com)
16. ^{^} Instagram (www.instagram.com)
17. ^{^} spg.com/Marriott (www.members.marriott.com)