One of the main challenges of the hospitality sector is to develop customer loyalty. Not easy in a society where brand loyalty is less and less present in favour of a perpetual quest to obtain the best offer at the best price. But professionals in the sector can count on loyalty programmes, a tool that has proven its effectiveness time and again.

Marriott Bonvoy, the travel loyalty programme of Marriott International, and American Express today announced the launch of two new Cobrand cards for programme members in Japan. The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Premium Card is a refreshed edition of the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Card launched in 2013, and the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is a new Cobrand card that provides guests with unique experiences. A collaboration between the two entities that has been going on for almost 10 years now, and has paid off.

The launch of the new Marriott Bonvoy American Express Cobrand cards offers a wider range of products to suit the needs of card members in Japan. This launch is timely as international travel gradually opens up and card members can earn points for free stays faster when making purchases with our Cobrand cards.

Bart Buiring, Sales and Marketing Director, Asia Pacific, Marriott International

With the new card, customers earn Marriott Bonvoy points through their daily spending. Cardholders will immediately receive Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status and will be upgraded to Gold status if they spend ¥1 million per year with their card. Eligible card members can also receive a welcome bonus of 10,000 Marriott Bonvoy points if they spend JPY 300,000 in the first three months. They can also use the points they earn to redeem for free hotel nights or exclusive experiences.

The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Premium card offers cardholders instant Gold Elite status and allows them to earn Platinum status if they spend JPY 4 million per year with their card. Cardholders can also enjoy accelerated point earning with 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for every JPY 100 spent at Marriott hotels. 

People's desire and passion for travel continues to grow, and the ways in which people travel have become more diverse with the creation of new ways to travel. To meet this demand, American Express has decided to offer a wider range of options to customers looking for a rewarding hotel stay and travel experience.

Hiroyuki Yoshimoto, Senior Vice President and Country Director Japan, American Express International

Since 2005, the Hilton Group has developed a partnership with the McLaren Racing brand. The two companies today announced an extension of this ground-breaking partnership that provides unique experiences for Hilton Honors members, and makes the McLaren F1 team feel at home in the group's hotels at race venues around the world.

Longer collaboration means more inventiveness, as in the latest video made and posted on the automotive group's Instagram account called 'Ride to School with Lando'. It featured a boy being driven to school by McLaren F1 driver Lando Norris after his father won the trip through his Hilton Honors membership. More than 2 million views were recorded on this original content.

Our partnership with McLaren allows us to deliver unique experiences to our Hilton Honors members and create authentic and engaging content. As brands, our goals align with innovation, culture and performance, so it is exciting to extend our long and successful partnership. We are also proud to show our commitment to offering the warmest of Hilton welcomes, providing a home away from home for the McLaren racing team as they travel the world.

Chris Silcock, Executive Vice President and Commercial Director, Hilton

Travel in Spring 2022 is the focus of the Best Western Rewards (BWR) loyalty programme. Program members can earn double points on each stay, up to a maximum of 5 stays, after registering at bestwesternrewards.com before the end of their first stay. The scheme runs until 8 May 2022. BWR members can also earn 2,000 bonus points for every stay booked through Pay with Points during the same period. To make a Pay with Points booking, BWR members must have a minimum of 5,000 points in their loyalty account.

The group has also adapted its loyalty programme to the health crisis through various actions. For example, all members were granted Elite status at the beginning of the pandemic. In 2021, Best Western halved the eligibility criteria for Elite status to make it easier for travellers to achieve this status, and further extended their status until 31 March 2023, without having to meet the necessary criteria. 

Today's consumers view travel as an essential investment and are willing to visit friends and family and invest back into their customer relationships. Our rich promotions make it easy for them to make these travel investments and also allow us to recognize and thank our most valued guests for their loyalty over the past two challenging years. 

Dorothy Dowling, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Best Western Hotel & Resort