Hilton upgrades its loyalty program

Members of Hilton’s loyalty program have cause for celebration. Hilton Honors will soon expand its range of services for elite and super elite members and will increase the power of points for these customers. We find out more.

Point bonuses increase for Honors members

Hotel loyalty programs are one of the best ways to build a strong relationship with a customer. Incentives inherent to loyalty programs will entice travelers into staying in certain hotels time and time again, and brand identity can be reinforced by offering perks and services that are in line with the hotel’s vision and character. Hilton is one of the world’s biggest hotel brands, but given the competition in today’s market, they are constantly having to rethink their rewards program to keep their valued clients coming back to them.

Last year, Hilton’s loyalty program was given a boost with the introduction of Honors, their renamed rewards system that allowed users to spend their rewards points to pay for rooms, effectively turning the points into an internal currency that could be used in the hotels. Honors members were also encouraged to reserve rooms through Hilton’s direct booking platform. These two changes seem to be the basis for the new changes Hilton Honors is set to undergo following a recent announcement by the hotel group. 

Stay longer, get more points

One of the new benefits of the Honors system will see Silver and Diamond members who book directly receiving upwards of 20% in points for each stay. Another facet of the new changes to the Honors program will also encourage guests to stay in Hilton’s hotels for longer. Serious travelers who spend a lot of time in Hilton’s hotels will be happy to know that after 40 nights spent with the loyalty program, they will get 10,000 extra points for every ten nights after the 40th night. This allows members to upgrade to the next loyalty level by staying at a Hilton property for longer, with Diamond status being achieved if a guest surpasses 30 stays. Another perk to the new loyalty program are rollover stays for elite members, where unused nights can be carried over into the next calendar year.

Reward loyalty now, not later

Hilton are no doubt conscious of the heavy competition out there in the hospitality industry. Not only is there the threat of sharing accommodation platform such as Airbnb, but also the saturation of similar big name brands on the market. Competitors Hyatt and Marriott have had to become inventive with their loyalty programs after a challenging few years. Marriott teamed up with Starwood to offer a combined loyalty program and Hyatt took on Starwood’s former leader of the Starwood Guest Program in answer to this move. Hilton will no doubt hope to entice more new signees to their program while at the same time offering incentives for their existing members to remain with them.

More information on Hilton Worldwide hotel projects can be found in the TOPHOTELPROJECTS database. TOPHOTELPROJECTS is the specialized service provider of cutting-edge information of the hospitality industry.