One thing that loyalty marketers always want to see with a loyalty program is increased membership.
And that is exactly what officials at Choice Hotels have seen since they relaunched the Choice Privileges loyalty program in early 2016.
“Best of all, customers are noticing,” Jamie Russo, VP, loyalty & customer management at Choice Hotels International, told Loyalty360. “Since the program relaunch, Choice Privileges has seen a 40 percent increase in new membership enrollments. While we are excited about these gains, we are most proud of the high level of engagement we are seeing among our members–both new and existing. Our loyalty members are taking advantage of our award-winning program and, as such, we want to continue to reward them faster and more frequently than ever before.”
Choice Hotels launched a Choice Privileges fall promotion on Aug. 31 that runs through Nov. 11.
“While we relaunched our program in 2016 to include new benefits and key program changes giving all members greater and faster rewards upon joining, frequent and lucrative promotions have been a core part of what we offer our guests for years,” Russo explained. “Our belief is that travelers should not have to wait to be rewarded for their loyalty. The perks that come with joining the Choice Privileges program–such as Your Extras instant rewards, immediate discounts through our Choice Privileges Member Rate−deliver value that starts on day one. That continues with promotions, free nights or other great rewards, and keeps rewarding members throughout their relationship with us.”
The fall promotion allows loyalty program members to earn a free night after two stays, reinforcing the highly-rated program's commitment to rewarding customers faster and more frequently than ever before.
Guests who stay at a Choice Hotels property two times between Aug. 31, 2017, and Nov. 11, 2017, can earn enough points to redeem for a future free night at over 1,000 hotels worldwide. Members must register for the promotion at ChoiceHotels.com/free night before checkout and book on ChoiceHotels.com, the Choice Hotels mobile app, or by calling 800.4CHOICE. Corporate travelers can book in their online booking tool, global distribution system, or with a travel agent.
Technology continues to shift the landscape, Russo noted.
“It opens up so many new ways for us to be able to meet our guests stated and unstated needs, so we are building a culture around testing to understand where customers want us to add technology,” Russo explained. “At Choice Hotels Headquarters, we have created an Innovation Lab that allows us to bring in guests and quickly pilot technologies to determine if it is attractive and easy for them. When it is, we invest in making it happen. Not surprisingly, the first area customers asked us to focus on was greater ease of shopping, booking, and rewards redemption. To meet that need, we recently debuted our latest version of the Choice Hotels mobile app, making it easier than ever for Choice Privileges members to manage and enjoy the benefits and rewards of the program. Members can select their Your Extras options, redeem points for free nights, digital gift cards and other rewards directly on the app. Choice Privileges Members also receive exclusive rates when they book directly on choicehotels.com or the Choice Hotels mobile app.”
Choice Privileges members comprise the majority of Choice Hotels’ mobile app user base, and reservations from the mobile app have increased 52 percent since the program redesign.
“The next phase of innovation for us has been understanding how to make the travel experience seamless and we have learned that this notion extends beyond the hotel,” Russo added. “That insight informed launching the Your Extras program and selecting the right partners.”