And Hilton had the audacity to significantly DEVALUE points! - The 2009 Hotel Scene: How Bad Was It?
“Worst year ever. That’s how a lot of hotel industry observers are looking back at 2009. Just consider the stats. Revenue per available room was down 17 percent to $53.71, occupancy dropped 9 percent to 55 percent, and average daily rate decreased 9 percent to $97.51, according to Smith Travel Research’s year-end report”
http://meetingsnet.com/economy/2009_...vpar_adr_0202/
At this moment, seems that IHG gets what Hilton is unable to comprehend.
“As companies fight harder to win consumer dollars, loyalty programs have been in the spotlight, and for good reason.
IHG's "Priority Club" members are three-to-four-times more valuable to IHG's business than hotel guests who are not members of its program, said Berg. And
club members who have earned enough points to be designed an "elite" member are about 12-times more valuable than non-member guests.
According to Berg, these guests are frequent travelers and joining the loyalty program changes the choices they make as they travel.
"We know from research that the value of loyalty points currency is paramount to members, he said. "Travelers depend on their rewards to help them cover the costs of their summer vacations and weekend getaways, and they don't expect their points to suddenly lose value overnight." http://www.cnbc.com/id/35219817/
Way to go Hilton!