Visconti

Sure, this could create a short term anomaly, which eventually will resolve itself.

Here's what I mean. Initially, the employee will not only be 100% price insensitive, but will actively seek out those choices maximizing his/her preferred rewards regardless of cost. Eventually, this inefficiency will show up on earnings. When it does, it'll be recognized and the practice stopped.

So long as this practice exists, I would hope that Hotel businesses will maximize their shareholders value by not only targeting, but encouraging this practice allowed by Corp officers who are either too stupid or corrupt to stop it. Nothing wrong with a transfer of wealth when it's between willing participants.

Then, one day, an Activist Hedge Fund/Private Eq comes along and the practice will be stopped for them and price parity will be restored.

PortlySpartacus

From the CEO Skift interview, key phrases:

"Feedback is a gift" = so I think he loves reading all of these responses!
"Irrational loyalty is not achieved by transactional means; it’s achieved through an emotional connectivity" = 25 stay per night crowd are in this camp!
"focusing on a core customer base is important to us, which is the high-end traveler, and that’s one area of focus that’s critical" = Money talks

GUWonder

Irrational loyalty is what Hyatt management seeks? Sounds like Hyatt wants to reward its customers who make irrational decisions that may even risk the customers protecting their own material self-interest. As the saying goes, a fool and his money are soon parted. Hyatt's aiming for foolish consumers? Sounds insulting.

edgewood49

Now I have read ti all

Jared Ito

should have been in Alaska . Moderator please delete, sorry do not know how to do that

PortlySpartacus

Check out the Miraval acquisition news from Hyatt....its all part of their master plan to go after the "high-end" customer. Now WoH is starting to make more sense and define the customer and experience that Hyatt is after.

Contrary to some previous posts, its not all about paying for a room and getting points and then redeeming points. Read into their vision and read the CEO's recent article on Skift and that tells a better story of where they want to take their brand and the type of customer's they are after. Some of you will be on board, many will not, things are changing aren't they.

notquiteaff

None of this should really be a surprise if you read through their Investor Day presentation from Nov 2016.

http://s2.q4cdn.com/278413729/files/...esentation.pdf

Doesn't mean that it will work just because it is in fancy powerpoints and rehashed in Skift interviews. But we will see in a year or two how it's going.

PortlySpartacus

I have heard of Miraval before but never looked closely at it. Looks like all-inclusive but with all types of 'wellness' activities. Looks pretty cool and really different experience for Hyatt.

I'm hopeful they integrate the point earning & redemption of Miraval into the WoH program this year in a meaningful way.

Anybody jumping back into WoH now that its becoming more clear? I would think not but I'm still sticking with it, I like the direction.

Visconti

So long as they don't start morphing the PHs into these goofy newfangled wellness "emotional engagement" centers, I'm fine.

I'd even pay more to avoid all this proactive touchy feeling stuff. Clearly, they're targeting a different generation than mine.

Kacee

My question is, are they going to jettison all the HRs and GHs with hordes of conventioneers wearing ID badges on lanyards around their necks ordering buffalo wings in the lobby bar? How does that match with "emotional attachment" from "high end guests"?

And how do HP/HH fit into all of this? Are they going to do a straight swap with SPG . . . HP and HH for Aloft?

Suddenly, Marriott/SPG is looking better and better.

notquiteaff

Breakfast benefit will be complementary broccoli hemp farro smoothie (two per room). And lounges will be converted into yoga and meditation rooms.

travelismylife

I was reviewing in my head some of my check in experiences, Hyatt Buffalo, Hyatt Tulsa, not to mention the Hyatt Houses and Hyatt places where the front desk agents could 1) not care less about you or what bring you to the hotel 2) barely speak English 3) not be bothered to with additional questions, requests... all the things this CEO is pontificating about seems like a totally different brand/ company. Unless they fire almost every single staff member and hire some seriously well trained personable people with 100 percent devotion to this plan, to implement what this guy is babbling about is utter fantasy.

PortlySpartacus

New hotel announced in the French Alps: http://newsroom.hyatt.com/011817-Hya...he-French-Alps

Speaks again of the "high-end high-value" customer Hyatt is striving for with WoH. While you are all focusing on HH/HP the Hyatt is bigger than that. Its like everyone on this thread thinks they have the plan, why not let Hyatt executives take their vision forward and I'll vote with my wallet in 2017 and assess whether I continue while you all jump to SPG-Marriott only to start the parallel thread this time next year when their program changes over to devalue and remove the 25 stay crowd. Fickle is as fickle does.

Hot Pocket

So true...even my check-in agent at the allegedly 5-star HR Coral Gables (FL) barely spoke passable english.

Emotional connection? F that. How about process my check in properly?

Hyatt's head is so far up its ..., that I am going to get under the SPG umbrella until such time as they offer status matches and bonus points to all the diamonds that they purposefully alienated.

notquiteaff

I definitely will let them execute their vision. I am not a shareholder and not even a Diamond (humble Explorist in a few months). I am a free agent with little to lose here. But as an observer of the loyalty and travel market I find this switch very fascinating... kind of like a slow motion car crash.

"Hyatt Centric La Rosière will bring the Hyatt Centric brand concept to the French Alps, providing a cosmopolitan vibe inviting exploration and discovery for millennial-minded travelers who want to be in the middle of the action."

Exploration and discovery... clever.

But I am not a millennial-minded traveler. So... meh (for me).

Oh, and Bingo!