Podcast: Hotels Use Loyalty to Compete

Skift Take

Listen to our discussion with IHG's head of loyalty to better understand how hotel brands are better leveraging their loyalty programs for post-pandemic recovery.

Skift Podcast

Compelling discussions with travel industry leaders and creatives who are helping to shape the future of travel.

Hospitality is a sector that’s well placed to leverage loyalty in the coming years. Winning a bigger share of direct bookings has long been a goal of hotel companies, to ease their dependence on online travel agencies. Now IHG is using a revamped loyalty program in tandem with a new booking app to address this. The advantages will go beyond free nights and upgrades, according to its senior vice president, global loyalty and partnerships.

“We’re proud of what we’ve brought to market. But delivering loyalty at scale to 6,000 hotels is complex,” Heather Balsley told Skift senior hospitality editor Sean O’Neill. Listen to the full conversation with Balsley below.

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