VIDEO: The “not stupid” way to achieve loyalty in hospitality

The concept of loyalty in travel can often be reduced to the most basic of practices: collecting points.

However, according to Lennert de Jong, chief commercial officer of CitizenM, this can be a “stupid” route for hospitality brands to pursue, particularly because the accommodations market – encompassing both hotels and rentals – is so diverse.

De Jong, speaking during PhocusWire’s Pulse: Loyalty For The Long Haul event last week, says collecting loyalty points is “not really driving loyalty.”

Rather: “Loyalty happens in the physical experience. It’s not about the booking or where people book,” and for CitizenM, loyalty to the brand comes via two angles, Net Promotor Score and customer lifetime value.

In the session, titled Rewarding Guests with More Than Amazing Stays, de Jong also explains what CitizenM is aiming to accomplish with its subscription programs, how the subscription model will evolve as travel resumes and why the hotel chain is looking to partner with additional providers in the travel ecosystem.

Watch the full interview with PhocusWire senior reporter Mitra Sorells below.

* Other replays from the event are available here.