For the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), customer engagement is all about recognition and respect. It is also about creating the special bonds between people that can result in long-term customer relationships, which is why IHG is boosting its loyalty program in new and interesting ways.
The British multinational hotel company, which oversees 4,800 hotels, is literally bringing IHG® Rewards Club to the next level with an all new exclusive tier called “Spire Elite.” The new initiative is a response to the loyalty program’s growing popularity and the brand’s continuing goal to reward valuable customers.
“IHG Rewards Club is the world’s first, largest and fastest growing hotel loyalty program, offering countless great opportunities to earn points and redeem rewards,” Peter Tippen, Director, IHG Guest & Loyalty Marketing Europe, told Loyalty360. “Since the launch of IHG Rewards Club, we’ve seen membership leap to nearly 86 million and we’re continuing to sign up more loyal members. We are constantly looking to enhance and evolve the program, which is why we’ve now introduced Spire Elite, a new membership level to better recognize and reward our most loyal members.”
Club members can earn Spire Elite by completing 75 qualifying overnight IHG stays annually, or by earning 75,000 points. This new tier gives club members all the benefits of the Platinum tier, plus an ability to receive 100% bonus points on top of their base points. Spire Elite members can also choose between upgrading a friend or family member to Platinum status or receive an additional 25,000 bonus points themselves. 
To commemorate the event, IHG is also featuring three photographs from acclaimed photographer Steve McCurry. Best known for his iconic 1984 photograph “Afghan Girl,” McCurry was chosen because his work focuses on the emotional connections people demonstrate between each other.
“Photography is about searching for little moments that happen in the blink of an eye but can last a lifetime,” Steve McCurry said, while explaining his IHG Rewards Club photographs. “Each one of these photographs captures how a moment of recognition can do just this. Like a photograph, recognition does not need translation or adaptation; its prominence is understood by everyone, everywhere.”
Spire Elite, which gets its name from an old English word meaning a very tall stalk of grass that stands as a symbol of endurance, was launched after IHG research showed that guests felt that brands should acknowledge loyal customers.
“In depth quantitative research undertaken in US, UK & China, amongst 4,500 IHG Rewards Club members and non-members, has revealed the importance of recognition to members,” said Tippen. “Frequent travellers revealed they want to feel like members of a special ‘club’ where their needs are understood and reflected in the choices and benefits they are offered. They want to feel rewarded for their choice to give their business to a company and in return will offer their continued loyalty. We are therefore introducing this new membership level to better recognize and reward our most loyal members.”