Who is loyal - the brand or the traveler?

Hotel guests are no longer passive service recipients; they now actively contribute to shaping their own experiences

Loyalty programs, once focused on collecting points and rewards, are evolving to put the traveler first by providing personalized and meaningful experiences. At this point, having a loyalty program is just standard. The real differentiator is how that program helps travelers create unique, VIP-level experiences.

Key takeaways

• At a major hotel conference, a Brookfield executive suggested that Marriott's Bonvoy could eventually operate as an independent entity. This suggests that delivering customized guest experiences may become as important - if not more important - than the hotel brand itself. Bonvoy is already emphasizing this shift by offering everything from customized travel packages to exclusive events, putting the traveler at the center of its approach;
• The key trend here is a shift from a focus on brand identity to a focus on the guest experience. It's no longer about the name of the hotel, but about taking guests on their own unique journeys. The guest is the hero, and they want to be at the center of their adventure;
• This shift from brand-driven to travel-hero models represents a fundamental shift in how loyalty is driven in the travel industry. As the industry evolves, hotels must ensure that their branding and marketing resonates with guests and invites them to become an integral part of the hotel's story.

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