What Hotel Chains Are Doing to Win Guest Loyalty in 2026

Hotel loyalty is getting more competitive and more creative at the same time. Big brands are rolling out new partnerships, fresh ways to earn and use points, and perks that feel more personalized. Smaller players are also stepping in with loyalty models that skip the traditional playbook entirely.

This push comes as loyalty participation keeps rising. A Phocuswright report released in December, “Playing Favorites: What Makes a Go-To Brand in Travel, and Why Do Customers Stray?”, found that 52% of leisure travelers redeemed some type of loyalty benefit on their most recent trip.

Loyalty Members Are More Flexible Than Brands Would Like

Even with more travelers joining programs, loyalty doesn’t always mean long-term commitment. Madeline List, Phocuswright’s manager of research and special projects, said the data shows a gap between having a favorite brand and sticking with it consistently.

Phocuswright found that 42% of leisure travelers said they have a go-to accommodation brand. But among those travelers, 63% still booked a different brand at least once in the past 12 months.

List explained that many guests chase specific earning or redemption goals, but they still switch brands when another option fits the trip better. If their “favorite” doesn’t line up with what they need for a certain destination, price point, or style of stay, they move on quickly.

In other words, hotels are fighting harder for repeat business, and they’re doing it with new ideas instead of just bigger point totals.

Marriott Leans Into “Passion Points” and More Accessible Experiences

Marriott International has long used its Marriott Bonvoy Moments platform to offer members access to events and experiences. Now, the company is expanding what chief customer officer Peggy Roe calls “passion points,” which are designed to connect loyalty to the things people already love, like music, sports, food, and outdoor adventures.

A key shift is that Marriott is testing experiences that work for members across different tiers. Instead of limiting the most exciting redemptions to ultra-high point balances and once-in-a-lifetime events, Marriott has been experimenting with options that are easier for more people to access.

A Starbucks Concert Partnership Designed to Reach More Members

One of the standout examples came this fall, when Marriott Bonvoy partnered with Starbucks to host a private concert in New York featuring emerging musician Alex Warren. The redemption options were intentionally broad.

Some members could get access through “one-point drops,” where entry cost just one Marriott Bonvoy point. At the other end, there were premium packages that included rooms, with those offers auctioned off to the highest bidders.

Roe said the strategy was deliberate. Marriott wanted to pull in younger travelers while still rewarding longtime members who have been saving points for a big payoff.

Marriott’s Outdoor Push: A Bed, a Bathroom, and Nature

Marriott’s “passion point” strategy also stretches into outdoor travel. This fall, the company launched the Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy, which highlights nature-focused brands like Postcard Cabins along with other Marriott properties that provide access to activities such as hiking and skiing.

Roe pointed to post-pandemic research suggesting that a large majority of travelers plan at least one outdoor-focused trip. At the same time, she added, many people want the comfort of proper accommodations, not a rugged experience. The pitch is simple: travelers want the outdoors, but they also want a real bed and a bathroom.

Hilton Expands Loyalty Beyond Hotels With Cruises, Adventures, and Upgrades

Hilton is also making big loyalty moves, especially by widening what “loyalty travel” can include. One of Hilton’s newest partnerships is with the luxury cruise line Explora Journeys. Starting next summer, Hilton Honors members will be able to earn and redeem points on cruises.

The cruise tie-in fits into a broader effort to give members more ways to use the program outside a standard hotel stay.

Hilton Honors Adventures and the Push Into Outdoor Lodging

Hilton has also introduced Hilton Honors Adventures, a loyalty offshoot that highlights travel experiences beyond typical hotels. That includes Explora Journeys as well as Hilton’s partnership with AutoCamp, an outdoor lodging brand known for upscale stays in Airstream trailers.

Chris Silcock, Hilton’s president of global brands and commercial services, described it as a natural evolution. Hilton wants members to see Honors not just as a hotel rewards system, but as a way into different styles of travel and adventure.

Hilton Tweaks Elite Status and Adds Diamond Reserve

Hilton Honors has grown to more than 230 million members, and Hilton has reworked its tier structure while expanding the program. The company lowered the requirements for Gold and Diamond status and introduced a new, higher top tier called Diamond Reserve.

Diamond Reserve requires 80 nights and $18,000 in annual spending, creating a premium level aimed at Hilton’s most valuable frequent guests.

Making Upgrades Less Stressful With More Certainty

Hilton is also trying to reduce what Silcock called a major anxiety point for members: not knowing if an upgrade will happen. The company has been expanding its automated advance upgrade notification system, which first launched in 2021.

The longer-term goal goes further than early notifications. Hilton plans to introduce “confirmable upgrades,” allowing members to choose the trips where they want to lock in an upgrade ahead of time instead of hoping it clears at check-in.

Silcock’s reasoning is straightforward: not every trip matters equally. A suite upgrade on a special vacation can feel far more valuable than an upgrade on a quick overnight stop, and Hilton wants to give members more control over when those perks apply.

Smaller Brands Are Reinventing What “Loyalty” Looks Like

While major chains are expanding points, partnerships, and elite perks, smaller players are building programs that focus on meaning, personalization, and flexibility instead of traditional points chasing.

1 Hotels Trades Points for Purpose With Mission Membership

Starwood’s 1 Hotels brand launched Mission Membership in December, and the program takes a different route entirely. It rejects the standard points-based system and centers membership around environmental impact.

For every qualifying stay, 1% of a member’s spend is donated to one of three environmental nonprofits. The brand also plants a tree through its partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation for every new member who joins.

Instead of status tiers, members earn benefits such as upgrades and late checkout based on how often they stay, keeping the program rooted in frequency and engagement rather than rigid tier thresholds.

Journey Builds Loyalty Across Independent Hotels With Better Data and Better Redemption Rules

Journey, a newer loyalty concept launched by John Sutton in 2024, aims to solve a different problem: independent hotels often can’t compete with big chains on loyalty and data. Journey’s pitch is that it can give boutique and independent properties the kind of guest insights and network effects that large brands have built for years.

Journey’s business model is also structured differently. Hotels only pay Journey a cut when members book through the platform, rather than paying into the program regardless of performance.

Redemptions Without Blackout Restrictions and Upgrades You Can Confirm

Journey also tries to remove pain points guests often complain about in traditional loyalty programs. Sutton said Journey pays hotels the equivalent of the best available rate for point redemptions and suite upgrades.

For travelers, that translates into fewer restrictions. Members can redeem points without being blocked by limited availability rules, and they can secure a confirmed upgrade ahead of check-in instead of rolling the dice at the front desk.

Personalization Is the Real Hook

Sutton said the inspiration for Journey came from staying at boutique hotels where service felt personal. The best stays, in his view, were places that remembered guests and treated them like regulars rather than room numbers.

Journey now includes more than 1,500 properties, and those hotels share guest preferences across the network to improve personalization. Hotel staff can access these “guest insights,” which Journey summarizes so busy teams can actually act on the information.

The startup also has backing from Brian Kelly, founder of The Points Guy, who serves as an investor and senior advisor.

Sutton said he hopes Journey eventually expands beyond hotels and builds loyalty around status and access, not just point transactions. He compared it to the early days of American Express, when accepting it signaled something special about a business. His goal is for the Journey logo to carry that same kind of meaning for travelers.

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This article was written by Hunter and edited with AI Assistance