Hotel loyalty programs are easiest to understand when you separate how they’re presented from how they actually work.
That means looking at the economics of buying and redeeming points, the changing value of status and certificates, and the rules that determine when a benefit is genuinely useful. It also means testing those ideas against actual trips.
This section brings that work together: Marriott, Hilton and IHG over time; points pricing and free-night certificates; changes in program structure; and the decisions those programs produce on the road.
The Programs
Points & Certificates
Status & Program Design
Other Ways to Book
On the Road
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