HOW HOTELS ARE IMPROVING LOYALTY PROGRAMS AND ENHANCING THE GUEST EXPERIENCE!
Today’s discerning traveler is seeking more than just a room to sleep in, they want an experience – a great experience, as a matter of fact. Experiential luxury is what guests require but a component of that overall experience package includes the hotel perks and benefits of being a repeat guest. Hotels understand how critical it is to incentivize and give more than expected. But isn’t hospitality all about giving your guests more than what is expected, first and foremost? Hospitality starts before you walk into the hotel. But enhancing these loyalty programs adds value for members throughout their travel experience by adding more relevancy and connectivity before, during and after their stays.
Photo Credit: Always5star recommended hotel programs
Some immediate benefits for guests when they join a hotel rewards program may include perks such as:
1. Discounted Room Rates
2. Free Cancellations
3. In Room Perks such as Free or enhanced Wi-fi, complimentary bottled water and breakfasts.
4. Points Earned for Free Stays
5. Early Check-in
6. Late Check-Out
7. Free Parking
Whether you are a Discoverist, an Explorist, or a Globalist as defined by Hilton Honors Program, hotels want to encourage guests to join their programs on many levels without a doubt.
Just recently, Best Western Rewards (BWR?), earned a top five ranking in the U.S. News & World Report's Best Hotel Rewards Programs list. This marks the seventh consecutive year that BWR has received this coveted recognition, honoring the tremendous value it brings to the program's members.
Included in the BWR refresh, members receive instant rewards on every stay including the Status Match – No Catch? program which instantly allows members to have their status matched with other hotel loyalty program when they enroll. Elite members receive Elite Rewards such as a “Thank You” gift when they arrive or bonus points.
Dorothy Dowling, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for BWR stated, "we are committed to providing travelers with a rich rewards program that delivers real value. As part of this commitment we are constantly evolving the program, offering new redemption options and superior benefits to our members. We are proud to see that these enhancements are delivering the perks that today's travelers are looking for."
Earlier in the year, Marriott International combined their loyalty programs of Marriott Rewards, Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Rewards into a single offering called “Marriott Bonvoy” and created a new app for the program. Their different levels of Silver Elite, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, Titanium Elite and Ambassador Elite provide increasing benefits such as a welcome gift, lounge access, 48-hour guarantee and ambassador service and more.
Recently, Radisson Hotel Group launched a platform and Radisson Hotels App for Radisson Rewards members called Radissonhotels.com, a new multi-brand and mobile-first global website.
This week, Hyatt Hotels Corporation “relaunched” their Guest Loyalty Rewards App with new features that provide their loyalty members customization in their stay providing a more seamless experience overall.
Some of the new features include:
1.Access and stream personal content directly to the in-room TV through Chromecast without the need to enter additional credentials.
2. Unlock guestrooms and public spaces via Hyatt mobile entry.
3. Quickly make requests directly to the hotel and receive feedback in real-time via a new chat option.
4. Request items directly to guestrooms.
5. Access the schedule of meetings and events happening at the hotel during the member’s stay.
“For some members, maintaining their routine while traveling is dependent on knowing more about the hotels’ workout facilities or simply being able to watch their favorite shows via Chromecast. For others, they want to easily navigate the destination and the hotel that they are visiting from, dining to transportation to local activities,” states Amy Weinberg, SVP World of Hyatt.
Hoteliers, at the end of the day, you simply want to provide guests with a great experience and that includes great service, great rewards, and a great room. The Refinishing Touch? rewards hoteliers with providing great savings of at least 50% up to as much as 80% while adding sustainability back into the hotel. When you choose to refinish your existing casegoods and not replace them, you are making a positive, dramatic impact on the environment. The chart below literally displays more than a “ton” of reasons why refinishing is the smarter choice.
Photo Credit: www.carbonfootprint.com
Learn more about other operational areas within your hotel that you can implement additional sustainability with our Go Green: Green Ideas for Hotels and Resorts Guide.
Our clients experience incredible savings by choosing to refinish their FF&E with us and not replace it. These savings can be reinvested into areas of your hotel that are exponentially changing at a faster pace like security upgrades for guests, technology upgrades in the rooms, more efficient lighting, HVAC improvements, and important additional employee training.
Photo Credit: The Refinishing Touch?
With all the cost-saving benefits The Refinishing Touch? provides to help hoteliers maximize their ROI, it is worth a phone call and discussion with our team. There are many hidden costs that may not readily come to mind when considering FF&E replacement. We encourage hoteliers to contact us early in their design and project specification. Hidden real costs such as shipping, storage, disposal, moving, and taxes and tariffs must all be considered. Our community of on-site services at The Refinishing Touch? includes refinishing, re-engineering and reupholstering that save time and money. In many cases, the room can be put back into service later that same day, which decreases additional downtime!
Photo Credit: The Refinishing Touch?
We are the trusted and Preferred Supplier of HILTON, Host Hotels and Resorts and many more!
Our Principal, Mario Insenga, has been providing excellence in asset management for hoteliers for over 42 years and more than 7,000 completed renovation projects. His expertise and innovative sustainable solutions will provide the knowledge that can help you maximize your hotel’s ROI. Why choose anyone with less experience to handle such an important part of your hotel asset management?
Photo Credit: The Refinishing Touch?
Contact our Sales Manager, Erek Schwartz at 1.800.523.9448 for more information and email [email protected] to request an online quote for your upcoming renovation project. Whether you’re experiencing a PIP, CAPEX, or rebranding, our team can increase your sustainability while saving your hotel an incredible amount of money. We invite you to learn more about our community of services at www.therefinishingtouch.com
RESOURCES:
Best Western? Hotels & Resorts' Loyalty Program Earns Number Five Spot in List of Best Hotel Rewards Programs, PRNewswire
Hyatt Relaunches It’s Loyalty App by Esther Hertzfeld, Hotel Management Magazine
5 Benefits of Joining a Hotel Reward Program, www.always5star.com
Carbonfootprint.com