Starwood Preferred Guest Missing from Top Hotel Loyalty Programs, According to J.D. Power
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Interestingly, the Starwood Preferred Guest program, beloved among frequent travelers, ranked near the bottom, and it's never fared well in past J.D. Powers' reports. So, why is it so admired, and why does Marriott want it so badly?
The third annual J.D. Power Hotel Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report is out and this year, Hilton Worldwide and Marriott International took top honors, tying for first place in terms of overall customer satisfaction, followed by InterContinental Hotel Group.
The full list is included below.
Interestingly, the Starwood Preferred Guest program, which has historically never fared well in J.D. Powers' hotel loyalty program report, ranked second to last, with an index score of 674. Last year, its score was 661 and in 2014, it was 651, ranking well below average.
One reason is that SPG caters to the most elite travelers but makes it difficult for less frequent travelers to even qualify for the lower tiers. (See more below.)
So, what made Hilton and Marriott tops? This was the second year in a row that Hilton HHonors ranked highest, and according to J.D. Power, its program scored very well in terms of account maintenance/management, as well as reward program terms and the variety of available benefits for members. Marriott, on the other hand, scored well in ease of redeeming points/miles, reward program terms, and ease of earning points/miles. Last year, Marriott ranked fifth overall.
The report drew on the responses of more than 3,096 U.S. consumers who have joined a hotel loyalty plan and answered an online survey in February 2016. The overall customer satisfaction index takes the foll
