THERE IS A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY IN THE HOTEL BUSINESS TO LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE PERSONALIZED DIGITAL EXPERIENCES FOR CONSUMERS .
was promoted to vice president of digital commerce , where she oversaw Choice ’ s mobile app , digital experiences and ChoiceHotels . com .
“ Those roles gave me invaluable insight into consumers ’ expectations across the guest journey , as well as a foundational understanding around our franchisees and their needs ,” Searls says . “ With analytics and the digital ecosystem so essential to creating meaningful and relevant customer experiences , these experiences truly laid the foundation for the work I am doing today .”
EVOLVING LOYALTY Searls leads marketing and customer acquisition , digital experiences , loyalty , and customer care functions . One of her biggest priorities is enhancing and growing Choice ’ s loyalty program .
“ Our philosophy is that rewards should be relevant , easy to earn and apply to guests ’ entire travel experience — from their hotel stay and beyond ,” Searls says .
But to appeal to a new generation of travelers — perhaps one that doesn ’ t value points as much as the cohorts before it — creativity and innovation are key . Searls points to 44 million-member Choice Privileges and its recent expansion to an “ extras ” program that allows members to use points outside of just booking hotel stays – for Amazon , Uber and airline miles , for instance .
According to 2019 U . S . booking data from Kalibri Labs , loyalty bookings increased 7.6 % to account for 56.2 % of all bookings throughout 2019 . That translates to a 17.3 % increase in loyalty bookings since 2016 . What ’ s more , growth in brand . com outpaced OTA room night gains during the year , increasing nearly 7.5 % year over year .
Searls gains insight into what keeps guests engaged , loyal and booking direct by spending time at Choice ’ s hotels and with guests . “ In addition to traveling for work , as a mother of three kids who all play travel sports , I spend many weekends a year at different hotels . With each hotel , I am acutely aware of and pay attention to the experiences the guests have ,” she says .
That means asking guests questions about different aspects of their travel journeys . How did they discover the hotel ? What booking channel did they use ? Do they participate in loyalty programs , and why ? “ It is rare that I do not walk away with a new insight or idea ,” she says .
Besides the grassroots approach , technology plays a big role , Searls says . “ There is a lot of opportunity in the hotel business to leverage technology to create personalized digital experiences for consumers .” The bottom line : Consumer expectations are evolving , so hoteliers must , as well . “ People are looking for seamless , fast and easy experiences that are relevant and personalized for them ; think one-click shopping ,” Searls says . “ This requires better use of data and technology and orchestration across customer touch points . We need to lean into the next generation of consumer-facing digital products , as they not only create connections and build brand loyalty among guests , but they can also deliver significant ROI in the form of annual gross room revenue .”
THERE IS A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY IN THE HOTEL BUSINESS TO LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE PERSONALIZED DIGITAL EXPERIENCES FOR CONSUMERS .
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