JW Marriott Tampa Water Street in Florida has created the Stay Like a Champion program, in partnership with the NHL Tampa Bay Lightning. The program consists of three tracks: Sleep, Nourish and Train.
JW Marriott Tampa Water Street’s Stay Like a Champion program aim to create elite attendees
What do meeting planners and the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning have in common? They both have experience winning championships.
For meeting professionals, each event is like a final game, shooting the last shot just before the buzzer. For the Tampa Bay Lightning, who’ve won the Stanley Cup three times in their history, making them one of the most successful expansion franchises in NHL history.
Champions from different worlds can now have an experience together at JW Marriott Tampa Water Street in Florida through its Stay Like a Champion program. Now inching toward a year in operation, the program has been designed to introduce attendees to a mix of the fitness-centric lifestyle of an athlete through sleep, training and nourishment (more on those three later) and the pleasure of a luxurious stay.
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“Stay Like a Champion was initially created with the idea to bring together what Tampa is known for—its city of champions—and JW Marriott’s ethos of wellness to create a luxury experience that celebrates each in a memorable way,” says Erica Tortora, director of marketing for JW Marriott Tampa Water Street and Tampa Marriott Water Street.
JW Marriott Tampa Water Street’s Stay Like a Champion program offers three tracks: Sleep, Train and Nourish. These three have been created to follow the standards of an athlete. Sleep consists of a bookable wellness package that includes a spa treatment, an in-room sleep mask and scent kit, and a personalized sleep playlist for guests to access; Train includes a 1-on-1 strength and endurance training session with the Lightning endurance team, with custom workouts built around personal goals; and Nourish includes a private cooking class focused on healthy meals, with inspiration taken from the Lightning. Additionally, guests can book a private two-hour hockey Benchmark International Arena to pair with the tracks.
“We’ve received positive feedback and excitement for the experience from a leisure/transient perspective,” Tortora says, “as well as future groups who have begun exploring ways to implement into their future programs.” She says a large group of 700+ has booked the relatively new experience. Its customizability means each individual in the group can choose a single track or combine them for the full experience.
“Based on the initial excitement and feedback we’ve seen, we look forward to expanding into potential other Tampa sports leagues,” Tortora says. “While the mindset of what makes a champion doesn’t change, the practices to be and perform at your best do and we would love to offer those opportunities to our guests.”
