IHG's devaluation doesn't look so bad when looked thru the lens of Marriott's or Hilton's actions. @:-)

Haha :D

We should have a poll for least devalued hotel loyalty program. As with airline loyalty programs, it feels like a race to the bottom, with the focus being saving money rather than encouraging loyalty.

So far SPG and Hyatt appear better, but SPG are yet to announce their category increases for the year (and cash & points took a big hit this year).

I've read through the responses here and it sounds like RAs are happier than PC elites. The PC elites that are staying are often doing so in the belief that benefits will improve in 2014. Good luck with that :)

Sorry, I don't agree with that statement now.

In the past, PCR was great with all sorts of 4-digit codes that we can register and even register with multiple promotions to get generous points.

Anyone still remember triple point promotion, and reserve rooms online to make it x4? Those promotions were brilliant!

THEY ALL GONE.

Now 10 points/$1 spend, plus standard quarterly stay x get x points, as every other hotel chain has, I don't see any outstanding earning features when comparing with other programmes.

PS. Hilton's change looks scary, lucky I went for Marriott - and so far it's been very good indeed.

It does look to be a race to the bottom atm.

PCR was one of the most generous, but it is not any longer. A plus point is the points breaks. A negative point is the lack of recognition.

Hilton has just devalued, so that is also a negative, but at least there is more consistent benefits to being top level.

Thinking about it, I will be giving more to Club Carlson, I have found them also to be consistent with upgrades and there are some decent points promos.

Here in the UK Marriott and Starwood are not viable choices as they do not have that many properties :(

I still use them if I'm burning points or BRG. If I'm spending money, which I loathe ;) .... BesWestern promos are getting my cash lately. I used to spend the cash at IHG but since the promos are lame now, not so much.

Good observation, being a RA would tip the scales for me too....enjoyed RA for a taste but hard to achieve. Since I shifted IHG/Best Western stays ytd to Hilton and hit Gold on the way to Diamond I like the newer than IHG locations I used to frequent and like the status/benefits so far and points are just points.....seems to me the world has gone back to paid stays for vacation to lock in what you want anyway. Points stays w/ upgrades don't seem to have the certainty and quality they used to have

Someone here on FT mentioned it but if a person changes their mind for Q1 2014 another option is a PCR Plat status match, then sign up for some promo codes with a new account for some extra points and you're back in. Tank/close the account in 2013 and start over in 2014 if you want. Not the end of the world.

Yes I've now changed my hotel stay patterns
 

Devaluation, the word of 2013. Marriott, Hilton, Holiday Inn all suffering the same fate. So I am having to adjust to who is going to offer the best promo and go with that keeping in mind how many points each of these chains now require for Mid-level and Upper Tier hotels. Hilton has gotten ridiculous. Marriott just doesn't award enough points unless it's Megabonus like now but still they have new tiers. Holiday Inn has suffered the same fate and has all of a sudden gotten stingy with the promotions.

What's a man to do when he has no Affinity credit card because his company won't let him?

For me, Loyality is out the window. It's all about the best Promotion now and Free Nights.

What is this, race to the bottom? Looks biggest loser contest is back in HH's court.

True - however, for someone who isn't RA, and therefore is looking specifically at the PC properties (IE not ICs) then HH beats the living hell out of PC in terms of elite treatment.

I've always earned points faster than I can or do spend them, but finances are tighter now so I'm more inclined to use points over cash for leisure stays, regardless of implied value. Having been de-RA'd last year, the gloss came off PCR and the devaluations sealed the deal. I've burned well over 500k points in the last year and I'll spend the other half before this year is out. This is with 5 stays this year so far, versus >100 a year for previous years...

Nowadays I tend towards HH properties, not even so much for the points, but mainly for the treatment. The points are a nice bonus and I've taken to using them as a get them rather than hoarding them as I did with PC - I always had a feeling that seeing a large balance might have tipped the scales in terms of upgrades but frankly in hindsight I think it unlikely.

I just transferred last 80k points in SQ miles. Have 6k left in the account and will use those for a rare case when Point Breaks works for me.

PC was a decent program.Terrible status benefits but a lot of easy points and some redemptions was priced nicely. Now that they closed this - there is no value left in PC.

At the end of the day it all depends on your stay patterns. Mine are all over the place, so SPG is the perfect program this days, followed by Hyatt.

The PC is at real bottom, after SPG,Hyatt,HH and Marriott... Well done, PC :D

Regards,

El Puerco Volante

I like PC because typically their properties are cheaper in the places i go.

Looking at the 2013 PCR Standards & Reference Guide a few things of interest caught my eye....PCR members pay avg 8% more than non members and account for 42% of revenue but "New members are the program’s lifeblood" per IHG. So current PCR members over pay and get taken for granted in the big picture it seems. The drive is to sign up more than they lose I guess.

Page 2

Why are Priority Club Rewards members IHG’s most valuable guests ?
• Priority Club Rewards members generated more than 58 million nights and US$6.9 billion in room revenue
worldwide in 2011.
• Over 42% of IHG revenues worldwide are delivered by Priority Club Rewards members, with an average rate that is 8% higher than non-members.
• Priority Club Rewards remains the world’s largest hotel loyalty program with over 69 million members.
• Priority Club Rewards was named Best Hotel Rewards Program in the World for seven years in a row by
Global Traveler magazine and Program of the Year in the Freddie Awards, for our wide variety of point earning
and redemption opportunities, unique program offerings and outstanding promotions.

Page 18

New members are the program’s lifeblood. Every new member enrolled into Priority Club Rewards represents an opportunity for the enrolling hotel and the IHG system to capture incremental share from that guest.

On a side note .....removing the exchange option for PCR points on Points.com was another form of 2013 devaluation with one less option to utilize the earned points with.

In other words, loyalty programs drive irrational consumer behavior and are the carrot that motivates the donkey. Nothing new here - those figures are assumingly even higher for perceived superior programs like Hyatt GP. I purport they could take away many other benefits as well as (perceived) point value and these figures wouldn't change a lot.

Absolutely, take away the carrot and the herd drifts away. A FP's I frequent has 75% of their bookings come in via 3rd party discount websites from non-spg members so the stay pays out zero points since Starwood has to payout a 15% finders fee. So only 25% of their business chases the carrot...the rest are loyal to lowest cost , programs be damned, for business and personal. Seems 58% of PCR's business took the same view.

Yes. I'm making the switch to Hilton this year for two reasons. First, I can't remember the last upgrade I got and most of the properties I've stayed over the last few months have been mediocre at best. I always get the "thank you for being platinum member" but that is where the benefits have peaked.