10 Common Pitfalls of Loyalty Programs for Independent Hotels

Why do some hotel loyalty systems be successful although other folks are unsuccessful to hit the mark? When it comes to designing a software that will boost the number of loyal repeat attendees, all the even though minimizing marketing expenses and boosting profits, impartial hoteliers have to have to know what things to involve and what pitfalls to stay clear of.

Little and unbiased accommodations, in specific, ought to choose take note for the reason that their benefits programs rely absolutely on how properly they are executed. Chains, on the other hand, can leverage various places to maximize the benefits and advantage of theirs.

Regardless of whether you’re contemplating about environment up a loyalty software for your property or seeking to revise the 1 you at present present, you will want to steer very clear of the following 10 popular pitfalls that have been the downfall of normally well-designed hotel loyalty systems.


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#1. Neglected rooms

If your rooms are outdated, friends won’t likely return—loyalty method or not. That’s why it is important to meet up with the contemporary standards they hope. Nonetheless, it doesn’t signify you have to devote a fortune to do so. There are cost-effective ways to strengthen the seem of your rooms, and those can be as simple as offering partitions a fresh new coat of paint or even just rearranging the structure of the room.

Want to enrich the benefit of your rooms even more? We’ve put with each other some guidelines on how to exceed anticipations on the essentials you give.

#2. A aim only on the money perks

Of training course tourists enjoy obtaining a great low cost on their keep or reserving an appealing offer. On the other hand, they are also looking for an extraordinary visitor expertise. The critical in this article is to deliver on the fundamentals, and then take it a step further to actually win them above. What is much more, it doesn’t have to be extravagant. Freshly baked cookies, any individual?

#3. Dependency on word of mouth

To established up a loyalty application is a excellent initially move. For attendees to enroll and engage with it, on the other hand, they have to know about it. Market yours on your site, social media channels and, of program, at your assets. Do not fail to remember to incorporate it in your trivago description, as well.

#4. Too lots of tiers

Intricate designs make it difficult for customers to navigate their way from entry-degree to elite status. Aid them embrace your system with a basic a person- to three-tier structure that offers a reasonable threshold to move from 1 to a different.

#5. Quite a few hoops and hurdles

When it is a obstacle for visitors to gain and redeem details due to numerous disorders, the considerably less worth they’ll see in your software. Define the positive aspects clearly and hold constraints to a minimal, so that you incite engagement relatively than discourage it.

If attendees do not see the positive aspects of sticking to a lodge loyalty application, or they feel they are shelling out much more than what they are obtaining in return, they’ll abandon the method with no batting an eye. By giving company achievable ambitions to work toward early on and at each individual tier, you’ll encourage them to remain at your resort every possibility they get.


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#6. A single system fits all

It is extremely easy to adhere to the herd by modeling a loyalty method that the hotel across the street has for its company. Having said that, when a software doesn’t suit the style of traveler that publications your property, you are simply just squandering their time (and yours).

Inquire you: What tends to make my guests tick?

The way to find out the respond to is by creating “guest personas.” Think of these as fictional figures that you create based mostly on the data you acquire on your guests (furthermore a sprint of your to start with-hand awareness). Knowledge in your PMS, Google Analytics, and even a very well-crafted study can offer insights into their requirements, desires, and how booking your assets will benefit them.

This data-pushed approach is critical to owning an edge around the competitors in a competitive hotel industry.

#7. Fixated on the very long term

An tremendous reward such as a free of charge stay or an exceptional offer, which is virtually difficult to arrive at other than for maybe a business enterprise traveler who stays in a resort each other night time, will not really encourage most friends to transfer by way of the loyalty system. A blend of each limited- and lengthy-phrase rewards, even so, definitely will.

#8. No adhere to-up with members

Men and women are chaotic and can effortlessly forget about about a lodge loyalty plan they signed up for, no make any difference how very good it is. Remind enrolled attendees about yours and the benefits that come with it by sending a observe-up email a month or two—or even a year—after their previous continue to be. It’s not essential to bombard their inbox.

#9. Repeat company are taken for granted

Hoteliers see several faces come as a result of their motels, which is fantastic due to the fact it’s a indication of steady small business. The draw back is that it can make it tougher to don’t forget who your repeat attendees are.

As lengthy-phrase advocates for your assets, loyal visitors want to be remembered they want to truly feel special. The least complicated way to give them that is by maintaining notes on their choices and the particulars of their prior stays in your assets administration process. This greatest follow can even assist you know how to prepare their space specifically to their liking ahead of they verify in.

And finally…

#10. A immediate booking is regarded like any other reserving

Attendees who ebook straight are a lot more intrigued in doing enterprise with you than with a scheduling site or 3rd-social gathering agent. So, don’t address them like other tourists.

Reward company for their direct reserving with added perks correct from the begin. Tokens of appreciation, this kind of as a welcome drink right after a prolonged working day of traveling or even an enhance when possible, can undoubtedly rating factors with them.

How can you, as an impartial hotelier on trivago, increase visitors to your web-site to boost direct bookings?

The respond to is a simple one particular: market your site prices on your profile with trivago’s Level Hook up.

As soon as opportunity guests simply click on individuals costs (the far more irresistible, the far better), trivago will redirect them straight to your booking website page. It can not get simpler than that, now can it?


Market your web-site premiums to generate much more bookings.

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Featured graphic by Bnenin on Adobe Stock

A variation of this posting was initially posted in Might 2017.

Jamie M. Hansen

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