Ritz-Carlton’s new loyalty program links it with top brands
Marriott-owned Ritz-Carlton finally succumbed to starting a loyalty program but it’s not like “any old reward scheme,” writes the Economist, which writes that in the past the upscale chain gave the impression such programs were beneath its “lordly notice.”
“You get a link-up with the likes of Abercrombie & Kent, Neiman Marcus, National Geographic Expeditions and Vera Wang, and you can get air miles instead of reward points, if you prefer,” it says.
Participants get ten points or two miles for every dollar spent on room rates.
The relationship with Marriott’s own loyalty program, Marriott Rewards, is more complicated. You can’t be a member of both programs, but members of Ritz-Carlton Rewards can earn points in other Marriott hotels—and Marriott Rewards members can earn points at a Ritz-Carlton.
“What strikes me as potentially the most interesting aspect of this new program is that it allows Marriott Reward members to spend points at a Ritz-Carlton. That’s a sensible way to bring some fresh blood into the 73 hotels, as there must be a decent number of Marriott members keen to splash points on a night somewhere special,” says the Economist.
The group seems to have realized that, in the case of its top brand, you can’t always wait for the masses to come to you; sometimes you have to go after the masses.
Four Seasons, which is Ritz-Carlton’s big rival, has no plans to introduce such a scheme, according to the Economist.
By David Wilkening
David
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