Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 243 – Your Guests Are Demanding A Loyalty Program, Here’s Proof.

The OTAs have come out with some fantastic loyalty programs to take your guests. Do you have a solution? We do and on today’s podcast we dig into Expedia and VRBO’s new One Key loyalty program, the 2023 travel study, and what you need to do to keep your guests loyal to you.

It’s finally here! The 2023 Leisure Travel Trends Study is ready for download for the low low price of FREE!

Today’s Hotel Newsaroo

Expedia Group has launched One Key, a mega loyalty program bringing Expedia.com, Hotels.com, and VRBO.com together.

• https://www.vrbo.com/welcome-one-key
• https://www.cnbc.com/select/expedia-one-key-rewards/

5 Ways Loyalty Programs Help Independent Hoteliers

• Dedicated Staff: Guests like the convenience and exclusivity of having a dedicated person to reach out to as part of a hotel’s loyalty program. It’s a great benefit, but not critical for your loyalty program’s success. Can you succeed without one? Absolutely. However, consider training your staff to welcome loyal guests in a special way online, on the phone, and in person.
• Free Perks: This is the cornerstone of your hotel’s loyalty program and over 75% of our Leisure Travel Study respondents noted it was somewhat or very important. A bottle of water and a snack at check-in can go a long way. Additional perks such as a rate lock guarantee, free Wi-Fi, and more all help win guests to your program.
• Future Discounts: Guests love knowing they can get a better deal next time they visit. Have a great way to offer the best available rate to your loyal guests. However, what they really want is instant discounts.
• Instant Discounts: This ranked as the #1 most important benefit of a loyalty program guests were expecting. Not only do you need to make sure they’re getting the best deal, they need to get a deal that will win them over compared to some of the OTA’s incredibly compelling programs.
• Food & Beverage Discounts: Oddly enough F&B discounts didn’t rank as highly compared to the other loyalty program attributes. This is not to say it’s not important and anything you can add to the suite of benefits will help win guests to your property.

Download Your Free Copy Today

Savvy hoteliers should expect some unprecedented changes in leisure traveler behavior in 2023 and beyond. Low confidence in the economy, changing decision-makers, and new technologies are all pointing to a massive shift in how hoteliers court a new generation of travelers.

Download the detailed analysis of the findings, along with observations and specific opportunities that help you position your property at the top of customers’ minds.

Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to @_travelboom or info@travelboommarketing.com.