There are several qualities to recommend the Paddock Club, the luxury hospitality experience of Formula 1. I suppose the most obvious is the racing itself: you are positioned on the opening straight, offering a perfect vantage point for lights out, the checkered flag, and all the motorised whizzing in-between.
Yet even F1 agonistics will find plenty to keep them occupied. The Paddock Club is one of the few places on earth where you can enjoy a glass of champagne and a lobster salad before midday and not receive curious looks. Indeed, the curious looks would probably come if you didn’t.
The dining options are nearly as spectacular as the action on track. (Sometimes more spectacular, if the safety car is out.) There’s a veritable smorgasbord of food stands, serving up dishes from bao buns and beef fillet to gourmet pizza and grilled sea bass. Prepare to embark on a culinary world tour.
A trifle thirsty? The booze options are limitless. Thirsty for a trifle? You’ll find some right by the pancake stand. Once inside, you will not spend a penny. Similar to Lewis Hamilton incurring another penalty for an over-zealous departure from the pit lane, your biggest issue will be pacing yourself.
Pacing isn't an issue for championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who finished third
Sebastian Kawka
Once you’re sated, go for a wander. The racing simulators will probably be monopolised by children but you can always push the little buggers off. A beauty shop offers everything from manicures to hairstyling. There's also a barbershop, a charity initiative for Race Against Dementia. Enjoy a complimentary haircut ahead of the race, and ideally donate. But hurry back – Lando Norris is popping by for an interview in twenty minutes.
How did I gain access to this enchanted land? I was invited by Marriott Bonvoy to attend the Budapest Grand Prix; the hotel brand has partnered with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team since 2019. This means Paddock Club, obviously, but also the chance to walk the pit lane ahead of the race and even drop into the Mercedes garage where we watched the team practice their tyre changes. The photo of me standing by the car is my current WhatsApp pic.
Here’s the good news: you needn’t retrain as a journalist, or invent a popular phone app, in order to access the Paddock Club yourself. It’s one of the many perks offered to Marriott Bonvoy members as part of the brand’s ‘Moments’ scheme.
Marriott Bonvoy Moments encompass everything from backstage passes, music festivals, movie premieres, exclusive dinners, fashion shows and sporting events (hey!). They change throughout the year and take place all over the world – one member got to choreograph a fountain show at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
Members can buy their preferred experience at a fixed price. However there’s also the option to bid on them using accumulated membership points. Either submit a single, one-time bid, or input the maximum points you’re willing to spend; the system will automatically increase your bid by increments until the auction is won or someone has gazumped you.
W Budapest
Some – but not all – packages will include hotel stays. We shacked up at the W Hotel, one of several hotels the brand operates in Budapest. (It has more than 10,000 hotels across the world – chuck a stone skyward and it will probably hit a Marriott on the way down.) The Matild Palace and St Regis Hotel are literally on opposite sides of the road.
There is also much to recommend the W: a location bang in the centre of town, directly opposite the opera house (should your ears need further assailing after the F1). A subterranean spa. Spacious and comfortable rooms. A stonking restaurant whose dishes include truffle langos (a local speciality), steak frites and the most addictive sweetcorn tempura. Oh and like much of Budapest it’s utterly beautiful, housed in the 19th century Drechsler Palace.
World-class sport, endless hospitality, and a five-star hotel in one of Europe's great cities? It's fair to say I've had worse weekends. Don't miss out – seize the moment.
For more information, see Marriott Bonvay
