27-05-2025
Guest loyalty in hospitality: turning stays into relationships
In today's increasingly competitive hospitality market, loyalty is no longer secured through transactional offers alone. Guests are not just looking for rewards – they are seeking relevance. With evolving expectations around personalisation, timing, and cultural context, hotels must rethink how they communicate with returning guests across the entire customer journey.
Loyalty programs remain a valuable tool, but their effectiveness depends on how well they are integrated into a personalised, data-informed marketing strategy. Messaging that resonates at every touchpoint, before, during, and after the stay, is now key to turning occasional guests into long-term brand advocates.
Personalisation: Where loyalty begins
Personalised loyalty programs begin with a deep understanding of guest data. This includes booking behaviour, spend patterns, stay history, and even lifestyle indicators. As Moldstud notes, personalised rewards can increase purchase frequency by up to 30 per cent, a clear indication of the value of tailoring offers to the individual.
Recognising milestones like birthdays or anniversaries with curated messages or offers adds emotional weight to communications. Similarly, aligning rewards with preferences, spa credits for wellness-focused guests, or F&B offers for frequent diners, can drive stronger engagement.
Technology plays an essential role in scaling these efforts. Artificial intelligence and machine learning allow marketers to analyse large volumes of guest data in real time, enabling the timely delivery of relevant offers. Mobile apps and digital platforms further support seamless communication and reward redemption, providing guests with convenient, intuitive access to loyalty benefits.
Regional adaptation: The importance of cultural relevance
In the Middle East, personalisation also includes cultural and contextual relevance. Guests in the region often expect experiences that reflect not only individual preferences but also local values and traditions. Integrating these expectations into loyalty programs can strengthen brand affinity.
For example, guests at ME by Meliá can now earn Skywards Miles when dining at Central or booking spa treatments. This approach shows how hospitality brands can merge cultural insight with data intelligence to drive deeper engagement and loyalty.
Targeted promotions informed by guest history
Effective loyalty marketing also requires relevance in timing and message. By leveraging guest history, such as frequency of spa bookings, room type preferences, or length of stay, hotels can segment guests and deliver promotions that feel timely and specific. If a guest often books wellness treatments, offering a targeted discount on their next spa visit makes the message more likely to convert.
According to industry research, personalised offers can boost conversion rates by up to 60 per cent. But execution matters: sending messages at the right moment, such as during the pre-arrival phase or post-checkout, can greatly influence engagement.
Other best practices include behavioural segmentation, dynamic pricing tied to loyalty status or booking history, and cross-promotions with local businesses. These not only elevate the guest experience but also open up new revenue channels.
Acknowledging emotional moments, like the anniversary of a first stay, can also enhance loyalty. Simple gestures like a personalised note or exclusive dining voucher tied to a milestone help move loyalty from transactional to meaningful.
Exclusive benefits and tiered engagement
Loyalty is further reinforced through personalised perks that reward repeat behaviour. Complimentary upgrades, flexible check-in options, or curated amenities linked to past preferences offer tangible demonstrations of guest recognition.
When supported by AI and data analytics, these perks can be tailored more precisely. For example, guests who consistently choose higher-category rooms may be offered early access to suite upgrades. Those who frequently dine in-house could be rewarded with priority reservations or bespoke tasting menus.
Incorporating tiered benefits into a loyalty structure is another effective strategy. Guests unlock increasingly exclusive perks as they progress through levels, with each tier reflecting a deeper relationship with the brand. These tiers should not only reward spend but recognise behaviour and engagement patterns as well.
The value of timely, relevant messaging on loyalty
When loyalty programs are aligned with personalised, context-aware messaging, they become more than marketing tools, they become relationship builders. Guests who feel seen and understood are more likely to return, and to advocate for the brand among their networks.
With AI-driven platforms, mobile integration, and data analytics, hotels now have the tools to deliver loyalty messaging that is immediate, relevant, and aligned with guest expectations. As Mews notes, the more personalised the experience, the more likely hotels are to delight guests and keep them coming back.
In the Middle East's competitive hospitality landscape, where loyalty is influenced by service, storytelling, and cultural nuance, hotels that balance technology with human insight will be best positioned to build relationships that last beyond a single stay.
By Gyunay Alieva, Director of Marketing and Sales at ME by Meliá Dubai.
