Singapore – Around 35%, or more than a third, of Singaporean consumers are members of at least one hotel loyalty programme, a survey from YouGov revealed.
When asked about the top benefits hotel loyalty club members appreciate, the survey revealed that the most popular perk is redeeming loyalty points for a discounted or complimentary stay, with 43%, or more than two-fifths of respondents, saying they enjoyed it.
Additionally, around 31%, or close to one in three, cited early check-in and late check-out as the top advantages of their membership. The list rounds up with free breakfast at 28% as the third most popular perk.
Aside from the top three perks, around a quarter, or 26%, said they appreciate room upgrades the most, while some enjoy the discounted or priority access to hotel facilities that their membership offers.
The ranking of these loyalty membership perks also varies across different generations of members. Regardless of age, the discounted or complimentary stay offered by loyalty programmes remains the most popular perk for club members. However, it showed that Gen X (36%) members are more likely to hold free breakfast as their favourite perk, while Millennials (33%) prefer the room upgrade perk.
In terms of how they book their travel accommodations, over a quarter (27%) of loyalty programme members said they start off by searching among hotel chains of which they are a loyalty member before they narrow down the prices and proximity to their place of interest.
On the other hand, around two in five (41%) prioritise looking for hotels that are close to their place of interest before considering price and loyalty programme membership. Lastly, 30% first look for hotels within their travel budget before considering their loyalty programme membership and the proximity to their specific places of interest.
It is also worth noting that the survey found men (31%) to be more likely to prioritise hotels where they are loyal members when searching for overseas travel accommodations compared to women (21%). And across generations, Gen Z (34%) and Baby Boomers (30%) are significantly more likely to start their hotel search based on loyalty membership compared to Millennials (23%) and Gen X (26%) travellers.
The survey also revealed Marriot Bonvoy and IHG One Rewards as two of the most popular hotel loyalty programmes Singaporean consumers subscribe to.
About one in eight (12%) consumers are members of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. This includes consumers at EDITION, The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotels, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Westin, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Delta, Fairfield Inn & Suites, City Express, Aloft, and Moxy.
Meanwhile, one in nine (11%) are subscribed to a loyalty programme from IHG One Rewards. This includes consumers at Regent, Six Senses, InterContinental, Kimpton, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, voco, Holiday Inn, Garner, avid, and Vignette Collection.
Also making it to the top list is Accor Live Limitless or Accor Plus, with one in fifteen (8%) consumers subscribed to loyalty programmes at Sofitel, MGallery, Raffles, Banyan Tree, Fairmont, Swissotel, Orient Express, Pullman, Angsana, Mondrian, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Novotel, Mecure, Mantra, Tribe, ibis, and BreakFree.
Other hotels with popular loyalty programmes are Hilton Honors (8%), Shangri-La Circle (7%), and the World of Hyatt (6%).
