That move truly baffled me. I know you and I have discussed this at length before, but for those that weren’t privy, it simply comes down to: They’re too big in too many domestic/business hotbeds to drop a loyalty program.
My family and I travel a lot.
I’m highest status for both Hyatt (Globalist) and Hilton (Diamond) as well as a high tier for Marriott (Platinum).
We flew 64,000 miles this year for leisure alone; 16 trips, 8 of which were international.
I specifically seek out brands that I have status for. Every hotel and airline brand realizes this. Some do very well with it (Hyatt) and some are poor (Airlines), but they make the effort. A perfect comparison to Loews is Omni I’m terms of size and locations. Omni is part of Discovery, which partners with a couple dozen other smaller chains. Outrigger, Meritage, etc. Small Luxury Hotels is another that was smaller and partnered with Hyatt instead of dropping its program outright. The list goes on. But again, they’re too large to not focus on it. I used to stay at Loews but dropped them simply due to losing YouFirst. I only stay with them in Orlando now.
I’m currently at the Park Hyatt in Mendoza and got upgraded to the 1700 square foot presidential suite. 8 bottles of wine, more chocolate than I could stomach and a stocked fridge.
Clearly, that’s not what’s expected. But a $5 bottle of sparkling wine, access to a breakfast buffet on-site, or even just a couple of macarons make all the difference in feeling appreciated as a returning customer or not. And because Thompson was acquired by Hyatt, I’ll never return to Loews outside of Orlando again.