The world of hotel loyalty programs is a fascinating yet often misunderstood realm. A quarter billion members, yet a mirage of loyalty? That's the intriguing question we're diving into today.
Marriott boasts an impressive 248 million members in its Bonvoy program, but here's the catch: it doesn't necessarily mean these guests are loyal. In fact, Marriott, like many other hotel chains, doesn't disclose the number of 'active' members, leaving us to wonder about the true nature of their loyalty.
Now, let's talk numbers. Here's a breakdown of the member counts for various hotel loyalty programs:
Program Members
H Rewards 288 million
Marriott Bonvoy 248 million
Hilton Honors 226 million
Jin Jiang J-Club 200 million
IHG One Rewards 145 million
Wyndham Rewards 120 million
Accor Live Limitless 100 million
Choice Privileges 72 million
Best Western Rewards 64 million
World of Hyatt 58 million
Global Hotel Alliance Discovery 32 million
Radisson Rewards 25 million
MeliaRewards 15 million
Sonesta Travel Pass 7.7 million
Surprisingly, H Rewards takes the top spot, with over 11,000 hotels worldwide. But size isn't everything. What truly matters is engagement, and that's where the real story unfolds.
When we look at the member count per room, a different picture emerges. Skift's data reveals the following:
Program Members/Room
H Rewards 243
Global Hotel Alliance Discovery 219
Best Western Rewards 190
Hilton Honors 174
MeliaRewards 160
World of Hyatt 159
Radisson Rewards 159
IHG One Rewards 145
Marriott Bonvoy 143
Wyndham Rewards 142
Jin Jiang J-Club 139
Accor Live Limitless 117
Choice Privileges 112
Sonesta Travel Pass 87
Notice how smaller programs, like Best Western Rewards and World of Hyatt, excel in this metric? It's a testament to their ability to engage and retain guests, even with a smaller member base.
Sean O'Neill from Skift puts it perfectly: "most hotel loyalty programs are winning the headcount war but losing the engagement battle." The number of room nights booked per member has been on a downward trend, dropping from 1.8 in 2016 to just 1 night per member now.
But here's where it gets controversial... Hotel chains are adding members, but these aren't necessarily repeat guests. They offer small discounts to entice sign-ups, but this doesn't foster true loyalty. It's a numbers game, and it's showing in the declining room nights per member.
Hilton, Marriott, IHG, and Choice all launched campaigns in 2016 to drive sign-ups and circumvent rate parity agreements. While it increased member counts, it didn't translate to increased loyalty or repeat stays.
Hilton's penetration is impressive, but their program leaves much to be desired. They've consistently devalued their points and don't offer much to their most frequent guests.
Global Hotel Alliance Discovery, on the other hand, consistently surprises with its engagement metrics. Best Western Rewards and World of Hyatt also punch above their weight, proving that size isn't the only factor in loyalty.
And this is the part most people miss... Marriott's underperformance isn't a secret, and Choice Privileges seems to be overlooked by many.
So, what's your take on hotel loyalty programs? Do you think member counts are a true indicator of loyalty, or is there more to the story? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below! We'd love to hear your unique perspectives.
