Choice Hotels International, which operates the Choice Privileges loyalty program, enjoyed an award-winning experience at the 6th annual Engagement & Experience Expo presented by Loyalty360.
At the third annual Loyalty360 CX Awards, Choice Hotels snagged awards in the following categories: Gold Award in Experience/Design Innovation; Gold Award in Customer Insights; Silver Award in Brand Messaging; and a Silver Award in the 360-Degree CX Award category.
Julie Brooks, director, loyalty program management, Choice Hotels, said the company needed to embrace cultural change because “people expect immediacy. Any loyalty program that doesn’t give us that will quickly become outdated.”
Choice Privileges currently has 29 million global members.
Company officials talked to both casual and heavy users of hotel programs and heard that rewards were becoming too difficult to obtain. This insight, coupled with Net Promoter Score information against competitors, indicated that Choice Hotels needed to revamp its loyalty program to meet customer expectations.
New benefits, key programmatic changes, and new brand messaging culminated in the relaunch of the program earlier this year, giving members the ‘Faster Way to Rewards.’
Some of the notable changes include:
A little something extra on midweek stays: Guests are rewarded right at check-in with a little something extra on top of their normal bonus points or special offers. Members select and can alternate between reward options on each stay – from a $5 Starbucks card to $2.50 Uber Credit to 500 bonus points. This means members don’t wait for their points to add up. They receive free perks as soon as they join the program just by checking in.
Reward nights on sale: For members to receive a free night faster, Choice Hotels discounted hotel reward night levels.
Digital gift cards: Now members don’t need to wait for a physical gift card to come in the mail. They can redeem and receive their gift card emailed to them to use immediately – including while they are on their trip.
Points Plus Cash: Members can combine points with cash to redeem for a free night at 5,300+ hotels. Through a unique partnership, they can also redeem at luxury hotels across the globe, including more hotels in the Travel & Leisure top 500 hotels than almost any other program.
10 points per dollar: Members earn the same number of points at all brands, regardless of chain level.
Points don’t expire: Members now don’t lose their points as long as they stay active every 18 months.
Choice Hotels was innovative in its loyalty program relaunch because it addressed the cultural need for immediacy and it delivers a consistent guest experience by using technology to provide benefits.
No other hotel loyalty program has offered instant rewards at check-in. This ‘surprise and delight’ is delivered by technology instead of by the front desk agent, and allows members to receive more from their stay.
Choice Privileges was also the first loyalty program to allow members to redeem for digital gift cards in the mobile app. Instead of waiting for a gift card to be delivered in the mail, members can redeem for a gift card to be delivered to them immediately.