Toward the beginning of “ The Godfather ,” Luca Brasi , attending the wedding of Vito Corleone ’ s daughter , Connie , waits nervously for an audience with the don , practicing prepared remarks . His timorous speech now part of Hollywood lore : “ Don Corleone , I am honored and grateful that you have invited me to your daughter ... ’ s wedding ... on the day of your daughter ’ s wedding . And I hope their first child be a masculine child . I pledge my ever-ending loyalty .” Sadly , Luca would later meet his maker at the end of a piece of piano wire . But his words illustrated the kind of man he was : loyal to the core .
In the hotel industry , loyalty
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goes a long way . Loyalty programs , which vary by company , but in their most basic state allow members to accrue points toward free stays and other amenities , carry huge benefits , and like a chewed piece of gum stuck to the bottom of a shoe , they are sticky , cajoling consumers to stick with the brands of one hotel company .
For the lodging companies , loyalty programs keep paying guests within their system , drive more direct bookings and help prevent those guests from plumbing online travel agencies to make reservations . There ’ s a cost to running these programs , but their strength is a top reason why hotel owners choose a particular brand to hang on their door .
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“ Loyalty has never mattered more ,” said Charmaine Taylor , SVP of loyalty and partnerships for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts . She said the company refers to Wyndham Rewards as the “ blue thread ” that connects owners , brands and guests .
That sentiment is a common theme among hotel brands to the point that loyalty programs have in some ways effectively superseded brand names . When it ’ s necessary to tie together upwards of 30 brands — as is the case with Marriott International — it makes sense for owners , franchisors and operators to connect their products to consumers and build powerful tools for driving repeat business .
Consider one of Marriott ’ s
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LOYALTY HAS NEVER MATTERED MORE
– CHARMAINE TAYLOR , SVP OF
LOYALTY AND PARTNERSHIPS ,
WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS
newest brands , Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy : It carries
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12 hotelsmag . com Mar / Apr 2024 |