[ OFFERING EXPERIENCES ] LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELD

– SHAWN CRYAN, SVP OF

CORPORATE STRATEGY, SONESTA

INTERNATIONAL HOTELS

members the ability to flex their day-to-day spending and travel expenses to maximize their journeys with Hyatt from stays to planes,” Blair said.

OWNING IT Not only must operators appeal to guests through their loyalty programs, they must please hotel owners and potential owners. Wyndham Rewards, said Shiwdin, is a core program for owners“ because it really drives demand for existing franchisees.” The program, he said, stands out because members can earn significant rewards from their first stay. In addition, he said, the company has kept the reimbursement structure to owners simple.

“ Hotel owner economics are paramount,” said Blair and as Hyatt introduces new benefits and awards designed to grow membership and increase loyalty with existing members, she said,“ we have taken specific measures to ensure we are caring for our owner community.” Looking ahead, said Demuth,

THROUGH TARGETED OUTREACH, YOU CAN CREATE A GUEST FOR LIFE OR ALIENATE ONE FOR LIFE IF YOU DON’ T HANDLE IT CORRECTLY

– ZACH DEMUTH, GLOBAL HEAD

OF HOTELS RESEARCH, JLL

data will get better and the goal then will become more about relevance than personalization. For instance, is it a business trip or a family trip that is being booked? Through targeted outreach, said Demuth,“ you can create a guest for life or alienate one for life if you don’ t handle it correctly.”