Holiday Augmented Reality Screen Experience

THE CLIENT

The New York Marriott Marquis is an iconic flagship hotel located in the heart of Times Square. Designed by renowned architect John C. Portman Jr., the hotel is known for its modern amenities, expansive event spaces, multiple dining destinations, and proximity to Broadway theaters. As one of Marriott’s most visible properties, it attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors, especially during the holiday season and New Year’s Eve.

THE CHALLENGE

During the holidays, the New York Marriott Marquis welcomes an enormous influx of guests, many of whom are seeking memorable experiences. Revel + Rye, the hotel’s signature restaurant, features two massive, high-resolution LED screens designed to bring the energy of Times Square indoors with live sports, news, and entertainment.

The Marriott team wanted to push these screens beyond traditional content and explore how immersive, interactive storytelling could elevate the guest experience. The goal was to create a fun, holiday-themed activation that felt magical, unexpected, and seamlessly integrated into the physical space to surprise and delight guests.

THE SOLUTION

900lbs partnered with Kinetiq Studios and Edge by Pinnacle Live to concept, design, and execute a custom holiday screen-based augmented reality (AR) experience for Marriott.

To bring the experience to life, we collaborated closely with Marriott’s IT team to install custom hardware, including a live-streaming camera mounted above the LED screens facing the restaurant. This live camera feed became the foundation of the experience.

Using the real-time view of Revel + Rye as our canvas, we layered custom 3D animated content directly into the environment, blending the physical space with digital storytelling in a seamless augmented reality experience.

Together, we developed three distinct AR storytelling themes.

The first theme followed two playful elves who have snuck into the hotel through a swirl of winter magic, drawn by the warm smells of breakfast drifting from Revel + Rye. Each morning, guests spotted the elves popping up in unexpected places, peeking over banisters, tiptoeing along railings, and darting behind décor with barely contained giggles. Their antics turned breakfast into a joyful, interactive game with guests.

The second theme celebrated the joy of snowmen at Christmas. As the restaurant’s holiday tree sparkled with lights, a flurry of snow filled the screen. One by one, giant snowballs rolled and dropped into place, forming a towering snowman who sprang to life and greeted diners with a cheerful wave. Moments later, a momma snowman floated in to join him, followed by a tiny baby snowman below the tree, wiggling happily while balancing a large top hat. Together, the animated snowman family transformed Revel + Rye into a charming winter wonderland.

Following the holiday season, the experience transitioned seamlessly into a New Year’s theme. As guests dined at Revel + Rye, virtual champagne glasses floated onto their tables, inviting them to pose for a celebratory toast. Moments later, the screen erupted in gold glitter, culminating in a festive “Happy New Year” celebration.

Across all themes, we enhanced the environment with festive AR details including: twinkling lights, candy canes, snowfall, glitter, and holiday décor, blending digital elements into the physical restaurant space.

THE RESULTS

During the activation, the New York Marriott Marquis welcomed tens of thousands of guests, contributing to the million-plus visitors who flooded Times Square for the New Year’s Eve ball drop. The augmented reality experience became a standout moment for hotel guests, creating memorable holiday interactions that surprised, delighted, and encouraged guests to linger and engage.

Following the holiday run, the experience was refreshed and reimagined for New Year’s Eve, giving guests a playful, celebratory way to toast the arrival of the New Year, demonstrating the flexibility and impact of immersive AR storytelling at scale.