Ask Skift: What Are Major Trends in Hotel Loyalty Programs?

Several hotel loyalty programs have seen substantial growth in recent years, with Hyatt reporting it had increased its loyalty program membership 22% in the first quarter from last year.

So what are the major trends in hotel loyalty programs?

We put the question to Ask Skift, our artificial intelligence chatbot. Ask Skift used information that appeared in both our past news coverage and research, and we did additional reporting on the subject.

Hotel brands in recent years have been investing heavily in technology and loyalty programs to incentivize guests to book directly and foster brand loyalty. This has resulted in significant growth in loyalty program memberships, with some brands like Hyatt doubling their members in the past four years. The shift towards direct bookings through digital channels has also boosted owner and franchise profit