Hotel rewards programs are going greener, extending across brands, new report finds

22.05.2024 - 12:01 / traveldailynews.com / Vicky Karantzavelou

iSeatz’s 5th Annual benchmark analysis of hospitality rewards shows across-the-board increases in point earn and burn opportunities, driven by sustainability and non-traditional lodging.

NEW ORLEANS – iSeatz, a leading provider of travel loyalty technology, has released its 5th annual State of Loyalty: Hospitality Rewards Report. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the diverse and dynamic landscape of hotels, casino hotels, and vacation club brands, each with a unique portfolio of rewards and approaches to how their loyalty program members can earn and redeem points.

What the analyzed hotels all have in common this year, according to the State of Loyalty: 2024 Hospitality Rewards Report, is that they are expanding the opportunities available to their loyalty members. In the aggregate, reward portfolios grew across nearly all categories compared to 2023, likely in response to increased competition and hospitality brands’ desire to grow direct bookings and capture a greater share of travelers’ wallets.

Some reward categories expanded more than others, including wellness, reflecting hotels’ desire to keep members engaged and spending when on property. There was also a notable uptick in sustainability-related rewards and earning and redemption opportunities with vacation rental partners.

This year, 27% of the hotels and hospitality groups in the analysis offered loyalty-integrated sustainability initiatives, compared to just 14% in 2023. Most of the sustainability redemption options focused on allowing members to donate points to sustainability-related organizations or causes, while the relatively fewer earning options rewarded guests with points for eco-friendly activities during their stay, like declining housekeeping to save water.

“Hospitality loyalty programs are the ideal vehicle for delivering value to guests and members and signaling that hotel brands are in sync with their priorities,” says Andy Hermo, Chief Operating Officer of iSeatz. “The continued growth among sustainability-related rewards reflects travelers’ increasing awareness of the ecological impact of their travel choices.”

The report’s other key finding was that many major hotel brands significantly expanded their earning and redemption opportunities across different brands in their portfolios or with strategic partners, specifically their vacation rental divisions or partnerships. One-third (33%) of the hotels in the analysis allow loyalty members to earn points when staying at vacation rental properties this year. A similar percentage (27%) allow members to redeem points earned with the hotel brand for a stay at a vacation rental property or a vacation club under their corporate banner or with a vacation rental partner.