Spanish hotel group Meliá Hotels International has announced the relaunch of its MeliáRewards consumer loyalty programme, which now has more than 4 million members worldwide and is one of the company’s key revenue drivers.
In 2014, MeliáRewards members generated revenues of over 400 million euros for the company and made 67 per cent of all bookings on melia.com. They also represent 30 per cent of all hotel occupancy and spend 13 per cent more than non-members on average.
The relaunch of MeliáRewards aims to improve the value proposition for modern travellers, by increasing gratification levels which in turn encourage repeat stays. The programme invites guests to “Collect Emotions”, and has been redesigned to seek a greater emotional bond with members by providing surprises of delights during every stay. The new benefits are divided into three groups:
- “Get Value”: designed to make each member feel appreciated
- “Be Free”: designed to ensure the programme is adapted to each individual member
- “Go First”: designed to make members always feel they come first
Members can now enjoy all the programme benefits in every company hotel throughout the world, regardless of the hotel brand. The new benefits include a birthday surprise, free breakfast for a travel companion, free Wi-Fi in all hotels, discount coupons to be used during a stay, priority check-in at the hotel, online check-in and free access to VIP lounges in 700 airports worldwide. Benefits experienced differ depending on a member’s MeliáRewards membership level.
Another new feature is the launch of a mobile app, which allows members to earn and redeem MeliáRewards points during the booking process of hotel stays and treatments at YHI Spas. This allows hotel staff to calculate the points earned for each service experienced, which members can then redeem instantly.
The programme has also adjusted the way members can upgrade their membership level depending on the number of nights they stay, the amount they spend or the points they earn. There are now four different levels: MeliáRewards (entry level), MeliáRewards Silver (two stays or five nights or 10,000 points), MeliáRewards Gold (15 stays or 30 nights or 60,000 points) and MeliáRewards Platinum (more than 30 stays or more than 50 nights or more than 150,000 points).
Gabriel Escarrer, Vice Chairman and CEO of Meliá Hotels International commented: “A loyal guest is the best reward we can receive for a job well done. At Meliá Hotels International we are working hard to innovate and improve the guest experience at our hotels. The loyalty programme is one of our most important levers as it allows us not only to improve guest satisfaction, but also increase spending in the hotel, encourage repeat stays and generate greater revenue. That’s why we want MeliáRewards to be an irresistible value proposition for our guests.”
