Marriott Bonvoy Sees Experiences as Lure to Boost Hotel Loyalty Program

25.08.2023 - 13:30 / skift.com / Marriott Bonvoy / Ihg / Selene Brophy / Peggy Roe / Marriott International

The complexity of point loyalty programs has pushed several travel companies to rethink their strategy, and the most recent to flip the script is Marriott Bonvoy. 

Marriott Bonvoy points can usually be redeemed for hotel stays or to book flights with agreed partners. However, Marriott Bonvoy Moments offers members so-called “money-can’t-buy experiences” and the company is rolling out some for as little as one point.

That might mean sipping Mezcal with Breaking Bad duo Aaron Paul & Bryan Cranston, for example. Other One Point Moment Drop experiences that will be available during the next few weeks include “Hang with US Women’s Soccer Star Trinity Rodman;” “Sit (or cry, maybe?!) in the “Hot Ones” seat with host Sean Evans;” and Uncover a true-crime mystery with Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat of the hit podcast Crime Junkie.” 

Peggy Roe, chief customer officer for Marriott, who has been studying the concept of loyalty, said while loyalty begins with points, it isn’t the reason customers stay with the brand.

“I always talk to guests and ask them this simple and key question, ‘Why do you stay in our hotels? Why do you keep coming back to Marriott Bonvoy?’ And very rarely does somebody say, well, it’s because of the points,” explained Roe.

“Mostly, it’s a story or a memory about something, some trip they went on with a family or a friend, or it’s a story about their interaction with a hotel associate. Loyalty comes because of how we make customers feel, and that’s core to hospitality. That’s what we do in our business. But there’s this kind of disconnect between that and creating loyalty programs.”

Roe believes that, in many respects, the hospitality sector has commercialized loyalty too much, noting that the core focus for Marriott is to design the best customer journey from the hotel stay, when guests use the Marriott website and app, or engage with its call centers — all complemented with experiences of an equally high standard. 

“You don’t need to have status to get status. One Point Moments gives all our Marriott Bonvoy members the chance to experience that which fuels their passions and interests. Just one stay will afford guests the opportunity to explore and indulge in the breadth of once-in-a-lifetime adventures that Marriott Bonvoy provides.”

Marriott Bonvoy has the most members of any hotel loyalty program, at about 180 million. Skift has previously reported on how the company’s executives tout a virtuous circle with the loyalty program and co-branded credit cards, banking on the inclination of loyalty members booking trips directly, thereby skipping online travel agency middleman fees.

Yet, most hotel loyalty programs have long offered members generic perks after meeting spending thresholds.