Singapore – Ascott Limited, the lodging business unit under CapitaLand Investment, has enhanced its loyalty programme features for members’ travel experiences. The enhancements of Ascott Star Rewards (ASR) come as the programme celebrates its sixth anniversary.
Through improving its mobile app and website, Ascott aims to grow its member base to at least 15 million by 2028.
The ASR mobile app is set to undergo a series of updates to streamline the user journey. The updates will see an improved user interface, personalised travel recommendations, geolocation-based offers, and an optimised landing page.
Moving beyond allowing bookings, the app will also enable pre-arrival check-ins, self-check-outs and multi-room reservation management.
Meanwhile, the ASR website has added payment options, including WeChat and Alipay. It has also enhanced ‘Cubby’, its genAI-powered web chatbot, allowing it to pilot direct bookings.
Leveraging AI, ASR has a new recommendation engine that suggests travel destinations, brand experiences and potential properties.
Curated experiences through exclusive partnerships
ASR has added the tennis tournament ‘French Open’ in Paris and the fan engagement ‘The Famous CFC’ event in Bangkok to its lineup of curated experiences. The exclusive partnerships are also part of Ascott’s member rewards strategy, adding to its ‘Privilege Signature’ series.
Meanwhile, Ascott is also collaborating with travel partners to create a one-stop platform, allowing members to gain exclusive benefits. It has also teamed up with KrisFlyer, Singapore Airlines’ frequent-flyer programme.
The partnerships allow more ways for members to earn ASR points and enjoy airport lounge access.
In line with ASR’s anniversary, its members can earn bonus points for bookings made from April 1 to May 31, 2025. They can also get complimentary airport lounge passes.
Tan Bee Leng, chief commercial officer at Ascott, said, “To achieve our target of more than 15 million members by 2028, Ascott is making significant enhancements to our mobile app and website, to enable our loyalty programme, Ascott Star Rewards (ASR), to be seamlessly integrated into the digital journey. Tapping into the power of AI, Ascott is harnessing technology as a driver of efficiency, personalisation, and seamless customer engagement, as part of our tech-forward hospitality journey. This enhanced digital presence is complemented by our commercial strategy which focuses on offering compelling deals, benefits and exclusive experiences to ASR members. It also underscores ASR’s role in driving direct bookings for Ascott properties, reducing our reliance on online travel agencies. ASR members tend to book more frequently, hence contributing to higher profitability for property owners while delivering richer data insights for Ascott to enhance guest experiences and brand loyalty.”
“Looking ahead, Ascott will be stepping up our loyalty engagement with corporate accounts, to create compelling ASR offerings for business travellers as well as the companies they represent. We are also broadening the ASR ecosystem with more strategic partnerships such as airlines and airports, to reward members with more perks to enrich their stay experiences with Ascott. In line with ASR’s brand promise to Stay Rewarded, we remain focused on deepening connections with our members to deliver them the best experiences while supporting the long-term profitability of Ascott’s business,” Tan added.
