What we do Business issues Case studies Blogs ClearSight Contact Twitter LinkedIn Does loyalty pay this summer? By Matthew Petrie In May this year, we surveyed the American public on their travel plans for this summer. You can download the full findings in our recent report, ClearSight® on US Travel Intent. One of the most interesting findings was that members of hotel loyalty programs are planning to pay less for their rooms this summer than non-loyalty members. In this blog, we examine these findings and suggest some reasons as to why this might be the case. At least for this summer season, loyalty program membership does not translate into spending more on a room –with loyal guests planning to spend an average of $56 less per night than non-loyal consumers. This result is consistent with higher levels of guest loyalty among budget/economy tier users. A similar trend also exists among loyalty program members. Economy guests are drawn to the brands they know because the consistency of quality and offering is more important at that end of the market. Upscale guests are more eager to search across the market for more choice and a better deal, which plays to OTAs’ strengths. Mid-market hotels recorded the lowest levels of brand loyalty. Consistency is at its weakest in the mid-market, and guests have to spend more time and energy searching for a hotel that meets their needs. The big hotel brands have remained front of mind despite the cessation of travel in the 18 months. Holiday Inn Express is the most preferred brand in the budget segment, with Best Western leading the mid-market, Hilton in upscale and JW Marriott in luxury. Despite the rise of use in the sharing economy during the pandemic, our study found that hotels are set to capture a 70% share of all paid accommodation on trips this summer against peer-to-peer lodging, which account for one in ten paid accommodations. The sharing economy attracted a disproportionate amount of attention during the pandemic as it was able to take a greater share of travelers with the hotel sector closed. Now that hotels are no longer restricted, consumers have returned to more traditional stays, indicating that the shift was temporary. You can download the full ClearSight® on US Travel Intent report, or if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Subscribe to our newsletter SHARE RELATED OPINIONS Five things we learned from our mystery visits to Scottish Attractions Cultural attractions ‘should’ inform visitors about links to slavery - our research reveals Convenience or dolphins? What are travellers prepared to sacrifice in the name of sustainability? The top 10 hotel brands in France Holiday Trends 2021 – Key Findings EXPERT Matthew Petrie Managing Director, Americas Leading the US office, Matthew has helped clients succeed and grow with strategic, business-led research for over 20 years. View Matthew's opinion matt.petrie@bdrc-americas.com Blogs What we do Business issues Case studies Blogs Contact Coronavirus Connect Latest opinion Five things we learned from our mystery visits to Scottish Attractions Sustainability in Indonesia – it’s development stupid! Cultural attractions ‘should’ inform visitors about links to slavery - our research reveals Latest tweets @BVA_BDRC Great to be featured in @TravelDailyNews International recently for our sustainability webinar with @BVA_BDRC. Those who offer consumers sustainable choices stand to gain a great deal and establish a long-term advantage. Read the full story herehttps://www.traveldailynews.com/post/green-growth-provides-opportunity-for-travel-and-hospitality-industry-according-to-new-research … Yesterday we hosted a Christmas event in support of @Coram, where we decorated our own gingerbread cookies, put up decorations in the office and on our tree, enjoyed mulled wine and listened to some Christmas music! A massive thank you to everyone who donated and came along!pic.twitter.com/XyfEVmfQCM BVA BDRC Privacy Notices Terms & Conditions Corporate Social Responsibility Careers at BVA BDRC Statutory Information Quality Policy