Inside Hyatt's Loyalty Strategy: Why Care Creates Customer Advocacy(#779)

Speaker A: What happens to loyalty when the customer never visits your loyalty program? Today, customers are using AI to discover brands, evaluate options and make purchase decisions, changing the traditional path to engagement. Fayden is leading the discussion on what this shift means for loyalty leaders, where brands risk becoming invisible and how organizations can prepare for a future where AI sits between the customer and the brand. Reserve your spot@loyaltyinsiders.com that's loyaltyinsiders.com. Hello and uh, welcome to let's Talk Loyalty and Loyalty tv a show for loyalty marketing professionals. I'm Paula Thomas, the founder and CEO of Let's Talk Loyalty and Loyalty TV where we feature insightful conversations with loyalty professionals from the world's leading brands. Today's episode is hosted by Brigitte Blaise Chemae, former president of the AA Advantage program, the award winning travel awards program of American Airlines. Bridget is a global C suite executive and is currently advising VC backed startups in loyalty, travel and payments. Enjoy.

Speaker B: Welcome everyone to this edition of let's Talk Loyalty and Loyalty tv. Our guest today is Lori Blair, the senior vice president of ah, global marketing and loyalty for Hyatt Hotels and Resorts. Hyatt operates nearly 1500 properties in over 80 countries, from iconic luxury at Park Hyatt to wellness escapes at Miraval to lifestyle favorites like Andes to dependable core brands like Hyatt Regency and Hyatt Place. While it has larger hotel competitors, Hyatt has successfully built a portfolio designed around customer experience quality instead of just sheer scale. Complementing this is the world of Hyatt, widely considered one of the strongest hotel loyalty programs which is based on a simple premise. Reward real customer loyalty with benefits that matter and are delivered in practice, not just promised in policy. This session promises to be educational and inspirational. Enjoy and let's get. Lori to let's Talk Loyalty and Loyalty tv.

Speaker C: Thank you so much. I'm so happy to be here today.

Speaker B: We're delighted to have you. There's an awful lot of good stuff going on at Hyatt in the world of Hyatt and our listeners are clearly eagerly ear to hear all about it. Um, and so really just as a matter of format within our podcast, we always like to start with a few questions, uh, really to get the listeners an opportunity to know you better. And the first one starts with a question from the founder of let's Talk Loyalty, Paula. And that question right now is is there a nonfiction book that's really influenced you as you think about, um, your leadership around customer loyalty or leadership in general or just your business style that's really had an impact on your career.

Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. Um, when I started at Hyatt, actually, I was new to the world of hotels and the world of hospitality. And so a book that I read straight away when I joined, um, this amazing organization is called Unreason Hospitality. And it's all about leadership, of course, but how you create memorable, unforgettable experiences, how making people feel seen and cared for makes such a profound impact in how they feel about your brand. Um, and, you know, as a marketer at heart, that's something I've always strived to do. But having it be so pinpointed and underscored in a way that connected back to this category I was learning, um, has really helped me be successful in my career at Hyatt.

Speaker B: Yes, I've had the. The pleasure of working with Will, um, amazing. My past at American. And yes, uh, every detail is cared for, um, down to the tiniest, tiniest nugget. So that's terrific. Thank you for sharing that.

Speaker C: Yeah, there's some insight that you pull. I'm not gonna quote it precisely, but, um, there's something in there that's like the. The real definition of luxury is being, is being seen. And you know how to deliver this experience when really, like, the best examples of luxury are just being understood. And I think that's something that can be taken away across leadership, across marketing, across brand design, and certainly across loyalty.

Speaker B: That's so true. This is the core essence of being, of being seen, being heard, being, uh, understood. So thank you. Those are terrific, um, nuggets to work from. So, building upon this, it'd be great to learn a bit more about your own background, areas of focus in your current role.

Speaker C: Sure. Uh, so I've spent my career really focused on brand building, whether in advertising or marketing, um, customer experience and loyalty. I've worked across many industries, um, mostly in retail and, um, cpg, and now, of course, in hospitality. Um, I think you know what all of those have in common. Especially this idea of a brand goes well beyond this widget and into an experience and how to really leverage loyalty and data to inform marketing and the importance of, you know, just beyond that tangible product. But every single touch point, um, is a reflection of the brand. And in my current role, I look after all things global marketing and loyalty for World of Hyatt. Um, so I am thinking about every day, um, the program, but specifically how it is inspired by Hyatt's purpose of care and how we bring that to life and make sure that everything we do and every communication point for our members or experience they have from the pre stay through the stay, experience feels relevant, intentional and meaningful.

Speaker B: So what is really enviable, I think, in travel so with hotels and air travel, is that there are many opportunities to have a touch point with a customer. And I think it's really incumbent on the BR to make best use of that. And you know, in my conversations with Hyatt when I was at American Airlines, what was so consistently clear to me is how deeply entrenched this is about care of customer and care for employee that then would inform whatever policy or product or uh, program that would come out of it. So love how genuine it really is for Hyatt.

Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. And it is felt, I mean, from the first days, uh, in the role to, you know, the day to day of thinking about how do we innovate our program, that idea of care and um, understanding is, is a part of everything that we do.

Speaker B: And it's, and it's real. Um, okay, so tell us, tell us, what are your favorite loyalty programs?

Speaker C: Well, um, of course I have to start with World of Hyatt. Um, but I would say, like, let's take a step back. I've worked in loyalty for some time and I think that for loyalty programs have for the most part been, um, highly transactional. Some people would say over time, just this cycle of devaluation, you get me in, you capture my info, and then, you know, I never really feel either that value or valued. And you know what I think, um, and I am, um. I cannot take credit for this, by the way, but my bias towards, um, what we're building at World of Hyatt is that don't have to work hard to feel both valued and to have something valuable. And that's something that we think a lot about. It should be simple, it should be transparent and truly rewarding. And I think a lot of loyalty programs these days have sort of lost that, um, the elements of what loyalty really is in its most simple and foundational, um, state.

Speaker B: Yeah, I absolutely agree. And certainly as it relates to Hyatt, if you go out to Reddit and read travel blogs or simply talk to World of Hyatt customers, this is exactly what they're saying. They really feel cared for and valued and that they're really honored to be a part of this community.

Speaker C: So, yeah, I feel so lucky to be able to, you know, lead this brand. It's funny, even in my own travels, my family and I were just, uh, on vacation in Japan and I was getting breakfast at the Club lounge at a hotel and overheard two women who had just introduced themselves to each other talking about their own experience with World of Hyatt. And I just had to sit back and, you know, what's so cool is how passionate people are and our members are, and they, you know, are certainly willing to share and advocate and tell stories about how they experience the brand. And, you know, every marketing leader out there wishes that they could have that level of engagement, and we're lucky enough to have it, and we need to harness that and make sure we protect.

Speaker B: Agree, agree. And I would certainly believe and suggest that Hyatt has earned it. I mean, absolutely earned it. And with that, uh, just building upon that, though, really, this stuff just doesn't happen. Right. They're really. What. It's really well done, and the results bear that out. It's really kind of intrinsic to the company itself and the company's strategy and the company's direction on where it's going. So what can you share with us about Hyatt's North Star that guides them, uh, or guides you, pardon me, on the design of products and programs for customers?

Speaker C: Sure. So our North Star for Hyatt, and, of course, World of Hyatt, by definition, is our purpose, which is to care for people so that they can be their best. And, um, that is true for how we engage with one another. And, um, it's certainly true with how we think about how we engage with our guests, our members, our customers, and how we design, um, the future of the programmatic elements of what we do as well. Um, so we make sure every program update, every potential partnership, every benefit that we extend is a reflection of that experience of care to our members and to those that they care about. So, um, to take that just a step further, I think we've built one of the industry's most valuable loyalty programs by listening to what members care about. Um, I just got off of a session where, uh, we spent time with members listening to them, because we're thinking about what's the next iteration of our program? And it starts with listening. I certainly can't pretend to sit here and say, I have all the answers. It is our m. Loyal members and their experiences that help us continue to, um, be inspired and innovate for the future. And I think that's just one example of that connection, um, of care and personalization that, um, is just a guiding principle with how we think about how we do business.

Speaker B: Yeah, I think what's. I, um, think obvious and clear in that Hyatt works Very hard is that it delivers benefits that matter and they deliver in practice versus just having it as a policy that doesn't get delivered. And I think that is, uh, working so well for Hyatt in all its advocacy with its customers.

Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, it has to be, you know, something that is felt and again, back to that point of a brand is only as good as every touch point that it has. If we have benefits that don't actually are, uh, that aren't actually felt or that get missed in the check in experience, um, then, you know, that's worse than never having that benefit at all. And so our promise is, really comes to life in our recognition and the consist of the delivery of that experience that is promised.

Speaker B: So as we think about this, um, the clarity of the North Star, right. Is very, very empowering to employees. Um, help us understand how that transcends into the culture at Hyatt and how that really helps enable and supports all that Hyatt is striving to do.

Speaker C: Absolutely. So, um, we have this, um, you know, framework or saying, I guess, um, that is that empathy plus action equals care. And when you combine that our colleagues are really empowered to deliver these thoughtful and personal experiences that show up in how our guests and members feel when they stay with us. It's that underpinning. Again, empathy plus action is what equals care. And not everyone is traveling or experiencing our brand because of, you know, this super special once in a lifetime vacation. They might be traveling because, uh, you know, they're attending a funeral or, um, they're interviewing for a job and this is a super stressful moment for them. Um, and so we have to, you know, that that point of empathy is critically important as we think about deep understanding of each and every guest or in some cases our colleagues, and then delivering that action, which is really what underpins that.

Speaker B: So I think that is an excellent point. I think it's really hard to do, but it's so clutch. And the reason why I say that is you could be a novice traveler, you could be a very experienced traveler, and at any moment in time, you can have any one of endless emotions. And for Hyatt to really champion trying to tap into that, to then know how to either get in front of it for the customer or minimally be able to react to it, is really laudable. So love every bit of it for, for the high point.

Speaker C: It's interesting too, because, you know, no one expects that everything is perfect. That that would just, that's impossible. But it's how we handle the Imperfection and uh, close that gap that you know, actually makes the difference in the experience. An air conditioning unit is going to go down, but it's the immediacy by which we're able to communicate and the offering of a, some sort of um, different room experience or whatever that might look like in that moment. That's the part of the action, um, and care that really brings that to life.

Speaker B: That's right. And again it's in the detail of it all and the execution. So switching here a little bit as we think about Hyatt as a global hospitality company, um, you know, it's always challenging to me as an airline person and where we can move the planes around whoever the demand may moving to. You know, hotels place bets, right? And you know, you stand up a brand wherever it is stood up. And really part of that is how you're earning the trust and loyalty of your customers requires this relevant product which includes relevant location, the pricing, um, the integration of local culture and many, many other things as well as what you've already touched on, a consistent set of experiences and how that comes from the employee or how it comes from technology or a combination thereupon. And then of course amplified by the world of Hyatt program. So with that as a backdrop, it'd be terrific to share with our listeners a summary of um, the 37 hotel brands that Hyatt offers and the why behind them.

Speaker C: Sure. So, um, we went through a bit of a strategic brand realignment, um, all designed to one, accelerate growth, but two, help um, make sure we're the unique needs of our guests and members and customers and owners. Um, so maybe I'll spend a minute talking about each of these. Um, we have our luxury brands. Um, these are of course the finest places for refined tastes. Think Park, Hyatt, Alila, Miraval. But each one of those brands is distinct in and of themselves. We have our lifestyle portfolio, highly differentiated brands made up of beloved award winning hotels. Think the Standard, Andaz or Thompson. We have our inclusive portfolio. These are our all inclusive getaways. Uh, designed for, um, you know, when every moment is worth celebrating. I think of secrets and dreams. Hyatt, Ziva and Zalara. And our newest addition to the world of Hyatt portfolio, Buy up Principe. Um, of course the classics portfolio. These are our timeless brands, um, from the world's most traveled places. Our Hyatt regencies and Grand Hyatt's are, you know, two of the, the great brands in our classics portfolio. And then our essentials portfolio which is our select service brands that continue to demonstrate that pipeline strength, um, growth and owner value. So High Place, Hyatt House and Hyatt select, uh, are a few of the brands there. But I think what's interesting and important and you sort of touched on this is um, our m, especially our members, but travelers in general look for brands sometimes, sometimes they start. And what we hope for is they start with Hyatt and they may want to do a celebratory girls weekend at, at maybe a standard or at an all inclusive brand secrets, let's say, um, and then for their business travel, they're going to a conference at a Hyatt Regency or you know, a family soccer tournament and they're staying at a Hyatt Place. And so, um, this ecosystem is meant to serve our guests and members needs first across the breadth of our brands. And so while we of course are being brand led in what we think about clearly sets the definition of what is a Park Hyatt. For example, um, our portfolios are truly designed to meet the needs across many different travel purposes, all within a fitting ecosystem so that Hyatt and World of Hyatt can really continue to serve those needs.

Speaker B: So I love that you kind of painted this picture of a, um, parent perhaps in Tokyo on business days at the park, uh, Tokyo and then a couple weeks later the child has a traveling soccer competition or traveling softball competition and they are as you suggest, at Hyatt Place or Hyatt House. Um, and how is it though that Hyatt delivers at the global brand with consistency and at the brand level itself. So what is it that at any range of these terrific brands that you have within your portfolio that the customer can reliably express, expect X from Hyatt, be it Hyatt Place or Hyatt, um, Park Hyatt, um, and then of course, you know, how is it that you then have those incremental points of uh, distinction at Andes, the Maraval, the Park Hyatt?

Speaker C: I'm so glad you asked. I think to start at the brand level, our portfolio is very intentionally designed to deliver different distinct and experience LED stays, um, depending on the guest needs and mindsets. But that connective thread is of course World of Hyatt. Right? And so there are um, World of Hyatt benefits and brand experiences, um, that I know we're going to spend some time talking about, um, and the benefits and experiences also come through in the rewards. And so within our award ecosystem we have um, benefits specifically for our well being. Brands like Miraval we have um, benefits specifically for um, say our essentials portfolio. Right. If you, when you hit 10 and 20 nights, you can specifically earn points for a future stay in some of those brands. So I think it's a balance of how we think about the role of World of Hyatt in those experiences at the member level. What is promised to you within the ecosystem and within the status that you have, how do we deliver through personalized experiences at the portfolio or brand level. But then how does each brand deliver its own distinct experience led, um, focus as well. And so we're constantly thinking about all of those with the goal, of course, of bringing people into the Hyatt ecosystem through World of Hyatt and then getting to experience many of our brands and what makes each of them special.

Speaker B: Well, as someone who has, um, had the opportunity to have an experience at a number of the Hyatt brands, I think well done. And what I love is someone with a heavy loyalty background, how it is through the world of Hyatt, how it feels very tied together and um, all these to the, to a path intended for the customer's benefit. So thank you, that was a terrific explana. Um, now of course the employee part is really clutch, um, but so is tech, so is data. And these two words, two letters that we're all living with, AI. Can you tell us a little bit about how you are leveraging these tools, um, to enable the intended experiences for customers?

Speaker A: What happens to loyalty when the customer never visits your loyalty program? Today, customers are using AI to discover brands, evaluate options and make purchase decisions, changing the traditional path to engagement. Fadan is leading the discussion on what this shift means for loyalty leaders, where brands risk becoming invisible and how organizations can prepare for a future where AI sits between the customer and the brand. Reserve your spot, uh, @loyaltyinsiders.com that's loyaltyinsiders.com

Speaker C: Absolutely. So I'll maybe talk about two different things within the tech and AI space. The first is if our promise is we deeply understand you, we're going to anticipate your needs and then deliver care. We can't do that without really understanding you. And so, um, the first thing that we're doing is helping to, in make sure that we are delivering, whether it's content or sort of the meeting your needs on property, making sure that those moments and actions are delivered and in the hands of our colleagues. So that I know you say are here for um, that girls weekend or maybe celebrating a birthday. If we miss that, we have a real opportunity to recognize you and celebrate you and maybe give you, you know, something special. Um, that is a huge opportunity. Right. And so how we think about those moments and then deliver, there's that empathy and action equals care again. And data helps us to anticipate our guest needs and understand them more. And so for those stays that matter most or really just, you know, if we're going to deliver an amenity to you and um, you have a bottle of wine in your room, but you don't drink alcohol, you know, that's a miss on our part. And so how can we make sure that we are delivering those experiences in a personalized way that really represents the care that we're looking for. So I would say that is one capability that, you know, will continue to um, advance with all of the new tools and technology out there. The second, um, is. Oh, sorry, go ahead.

Speaker B: No, no, please. I mean, I'm just going to give one own experiences that really match what you just shared. I was on a business trip in Manila and you know it's, it's a uh, journey to get to Manila from the United States. And I was at the HC Manila, City of Dreams, so pretty close to the airport. Um, and I had a room with club level benefit.

Speaker C: Ah.

Speaker B: And I arrived pretty late admittedly, but the check in team said the lounge was still open. I was like, awesome, because you know, I just wanted to grab, grab a glass of wine and settle in for just a moment and I go to the floor within minutes of that and they're like, sorry, we are closed.

Speaker C: No, no.

Speaker B: I was like, okay. And then I left. I was like, how, how can that be? And not two minutes later, knock, knock, knock on my door. And it was cared for. I mean, you know, it wasn't flawless but it was cared for. And that's what I talk about. That's what I talk about. It was sorted out and care was extended to me. So I loved everything you just shared with the listeners and as someone who's been a beneficiary of it, it's all true and happening as described.

Speaker C: That's great to hear. Um, so the second example, um, and this is launched and I would encourage everyone to go onto um, our website and use this is our AI hotel finder. So, um, you can now search on hyatt.com um, um, in a personalized way. So, you know, gone are the days where you have to know exactly where you want to go, exactly the dates you want to be there, um, and exactly how many people you're going to be with. And how many rooms? Right. That's how we've searched for hotels for, I don't know, as long as websites have been around. Right. Um, but this tool allows users to search for hotels by sort of anything, anything that they're inspired by. It could be that you're looking for a romantic getaway in Europe, uh, on some summer weekend. It could be that I am looking for whale watching, uh, on the west coast in the Pacific, um, during the prime season. But also make sure there's a heated pool for my kids. Right. Open forum. And we will produce, um, the properties that are right for that specific personalized search. Um, we will also, of course, understand your, um, World of Hyatt engagement and be able to deliver recommendations that make the most sense for you. And so that has been something that has been super interesting to see what people are searching for because one, it helps our searchers find exactly what they're looking for if maybe they're not exactly sure what they're looking for. But two, is it helps us understand what people are looking for so that we can do more of that. And so it's been, um, very rewarding and I think you'll see more from us in this space.

Speaker B: So I've certainly spent time on Hyatt.com taking this out of the garage, doing the most insane type of multi attribute requests, and it delivers every time. So what I do love about it, consistent with what you said, we can only hypothesize or speculate or guess the demand curve of our customers, but when we turn the keys over to them to express where they are, that's very empowering. And two, like you said, it then allows Hyatt to have even greater information to go and put that back into good use, um, of creating value for customers. So I love it. I hope everyone on this, uh, podcast will go and give it a try again because it's super well done. Super well done. Okay, so let's move into World of Hyatt now. All right, as we've talked about it, every One of the 37 brands is supported by the World of Hyatt. So let's start with, um, you know, a high level question around strategic positioning of World of Hyatt and how for a long time, you know, it's been a key lever on something we haven't really talked about. But World of Hyatt and Hyatt in a game of scale, has managed to way out punch its weight for a really long time, you know, for a really long time. So let's talk A little bit about again, the strategic positioning of your award winning loyalty program and how it's been a part of, um, out punching your weight.

Speaker C: Sure. So, uh, a couple of things I would say. There are some non negotiables that we have when it comes to World of Hyatt from a brand standpoint and again from a strategic standpoint. It's all grounded in this idea of care. We created our brand platform, um, that we launched, gosh, about two years ago now. And the consumer facing line of that is be more here. And it's about how we as World of Hyatt can help you be more of whatever you're looking for in that moment. But the intentional sort of focus that it takes to be present when you're traveling and how World of Hyatt can help enable that, unpack that from a programmatic standpoint. I think that there's, um, like I said, some core non negotiables that have helped World of Hyatt, to your point, punch well above its weight. The first are sort of on the structural side. Um, we have the highest value of a points in the hotel industry and that's by design. Right. We have to because we are still not everywhere. And so we have to deliver that outsized value for our members to really make sure and stay within the Hyatt ecosystem. Second is we are the only global hotel loyalty program that still has a fixed award chart. Everyone else has gone to this dynamic pricing and you know, while we are and have announced that we are making some evolution to that because we haven't really touched the award chart in five or so years, um, we are committed to that transparency and that simplicity and so our members really always can understand, um, the reward pricing at any given moment. As we look at some of the more emotional benefits of the program, this is where sort of more of the magic happens. Going back to that idea of being grounded in care. Members have choice at every milestone. Again, I'm certainly not going to anticipate what, what every one of my 60 plus million members wants when they hit each milestone. And so we make sure we give choice, whether it's just pure points, something to enhance my stay experience, or something even more experiential than that maybe in the well being space. The second is being able to gift, uh, any, really any of your rewards or points to other members. And this was all inspired by the idea of the guest of honor benefit where our globalists can bestow episodically all of their globalist benefits. Globalist is our highest, uh, Highest, uh, elite tier. Um, they can gift that to someone that they care about for a meaningful stay. And so, you know, all of these ideas, um, of being grounded in care and how do you take a loyalty program that is so, you know, loyalty programs are famous for. Earn, redeem. Earn redeem. But what's emotional about that, that, um, all of these ideas allow us to, I think, deliver care in a really unique way and, uh, ultimately deepen the relationship that we have with our members and understand them even better.

Speaker B: So I think those are all great points you're raising, because I find that we can get ourselves a bit, uh, wrapped around the axle and. Earn, burn, earn, burn. Right? And that allows you to go immediately transactional. But where the endless value is truly captured is when it does feel magical, and it feels something way beyond just a certain moment in time. And while I do applaud the need and the priority that you all placed on being the best redemption value in the hotel category, I also applaud what you do with your status members and the benefits that you've just articulated out here and, um, their role of having that sense of magic and loyalty to, um, Hyatt that I feel isn't cared for enough or at least not talked about enough by other brands. And so I love it. And I've certainly spent my time, um, in advance of this, just reading about how customers feel about it. And again, you just find the oversized comments about happiness and, uh, what it meant for them in that moment in time to that certain family member or the hero status, you know, all of those things. I feel like you are caring for, um, in your. In your program, even though, honestly, the structure of it is pretty traditional, but yet the execution of it comes across a lot more innovated, fresh and unique, if I may say so.

Speaker C: Oh, thank you. And, yeah, I think at the most simplistic level, we already talked about this a little bit, but the delivery of those benefits, the consistency of those benefits, just the simplicity of feeling recognized and valued is so often missed. And that's, I think, the magic of what people are looking for. We. We did some interviews with, um, some members recently, and someone said, you know, traveling with a world of Hyatt, I get a feeling of gratitude, which to me is just, you know, to be a part of a loyalty program, but then feel gratitude. That. That is extraordinary. And. And I'm very proud of that. That.

Speaker B: Well, I think when a brand like Hyatt elevates the journey, I. I think it just resonates so deeply, um, with customers. They expect X, but yet they get Y. And I just love it. I'd love it, every bit of it, for Hyatt. So we've touched on an awful lot. But what I would like to talk about a little more is about redemption. Right. You've mentioned there have been some changes. I think they're effective this month. Um, love to get your kind of thoughts behind that. Um, and then talk a little bit about more about the portfolio of redemption options that are afforded to World of Hyatt customers.

Speaker C: Sure. Yeah. So, um, like I talked about, we, uh, are very committed to maintaining our fixed award chart. Um, and you know, I know and my team knows, we recognize that, that when people think about World of Hyatt points, they're thinking about possibility and the future, their future experiences. And our responsibility is to protect the value of the points over the long term and the ability to have a fixed award chart over the long term. And um, so, you know, something that we've been looking at, again I mentioned that we, you know, we haven't really touched the award chart in about five years. Uh, and so this uh, is in an effort to ensure that we are balancing that exceptional value that our members can continue to expect from us with the long term sustainability of the program. So, you know, it is one of those risk, um, rewards of announcing and changes before implementing it. We wanted to, I wanted to make sure that we were giving our members enough time to prepare and plan. We've continued to reinforce transparency. And while there will be changes, those changes will be an evolution over years to come. And so, you know, I don't expect that um, in, in the, you know, that members with the new award chart will wake up and suddenly feel different about the value of World of Hyatt points. And in fact, I think, think that um, we'll be pleasantly surprised with the evolution, um, that we will publish.

Speaker B: So two things I'd like to just, ah, say for the listeners. I think there's very few brands, certainly between airline and hotel, that have a fixed award chart. So that really is a point of distinction. And bravo to you. Second, you know, there's all kinds of ways where trust is earned by the customer, which is on the path to earning loyalty. There's no loyalty with the customer if they don't trust the brand brand. And when Hyatt gives the customer the respect of communication about change, the transparency about the change, and time to consider it on their terms before the change is again another wonderful reflection about Hyatt and its prioritization of care for its customers.

Speaker C: I couldn't have said it better myself.

Speaker B: Well, I believe it, I believe it. But also you also have some terrific other options for redemption spas and dining points in cash. Those are other elements where utility is realized by customers.

Speaker C: Yes, absolutely.

Speaker B: So one of my favorite things because of my history with American and Hyatt are partnerships. Um, but y' all are in my observation, ah, very particular. Um, you really give a lot of thought to uh, brands you're going to partner with. Can you give us a bit of a sense for the thinking behind it and the partnerships that you are um, embracing today, say?

Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. I think there's um, a couple of ways that we look at it. One is um, we look at where and how our members want to stay with World of Hyatt, how we can continue to maximize their experiences both across stay experiences but also within the travel ecosystem and more. Our vision is to really be part of a connected um, travel ecosystem and be a part of a mem of our members sort of share end to end travel experiences. We also have an alliance with the Venetian in Las Vegas, uh, largest hotel and we needed more presence in a really important market and the Venetian was the right brand partner for us there. Um, and I think what you'll hear from us and see from us soon is some expanded partners in the travel ecosystem. But also beyond that, um, we recently announced, announced um a sponsorship with in, in the F1 space with the Audi Revolut F1 team. Um, we are activating more with um, athletes. Um, Jessica Pegula is one example of a um, brand partner that we have. And so we are trying to be where our members are and engage with them. Um, people travel for sports and entertainment. Um, and so we're very much looking at that along with other partners in the travel space. And I think you'll hear more from us soon there.

Speaker B: I'm curious as a cat, but I love the broad perspective that you're taking on this. Love every bit of it. Also um, in terms of partnerships is a long standing one with Chase where who issues your co brand credit card and not too long ago you actually extended the partnership. What would you like to share with our readers or our listeners about that?

Speaker C: Yeah, we're very excited about our continued relationship with Chase. It's been a deep integrated partnership and uh, just to take a step back for anyone who is looking to expand their credit, their own credit card, uh, portfolio in a travel space, our um, credit card uh, offering the world of Hyatt credit cards provide card members with, with the Ability to earn and redeem across all of our um, over 1500 hotels and all inclusive properties and our 1200 Mr. And M Mrs. Smith properties. And um, because of the value of our fixed award chart and choice and milestone rewards, I think our cardholders get exceptional redemption benefits and really stand out, um, amongst co branded credit cards. Um, as we announced, um, with the continuation uh, of the relationship, we do plan to expand our credit card portfolio. So more news there. Um, and you know, our credit card members are some of our most engaged members and so um, the ability to just find another way to earn and redeem on uh, just credit card spend, um, has been another opportunity, um, for us to get to know our members better, engage with them and really unique, unique ways. And I think you're going to see again more, and I wish I could say more now, uh, you will see more coming out of the Hyatt and Chase relationship soon too.

Speaker B: Well, I look forward to it. Um, you know, hotels, like airlines are more episodic, right in terms of the engagement with the customer and how a form of payment and a co brand card has done such a great job of creating something more habitual. And I certainly think the Chase World of Hyde card has some terrific embedded benefits for card companies holders. Um, so very pro, pro hype co brand card with Chase. So as we think about this and all this wonderfulness that you have shared with us, um, how are you measuring success? How are you saying, okay, we are on the right path or m, maybe that didn't work as well as we thought. Let's redirect. I mean, how are you measuring the success of everything you're doing?

Speaker C: Sure. Well, uh, I think it's a lot of things. Right. So, so one is World of Hyatt remains the fastest growing loyalty, uh, program in global hospitality. So we are continuing to acquire and retain members. Uh, we're growing at a rate of about 30% annually since 2017, which is just tremendous. And so that one tells me, in the macro sense, do we have a desirable offering that people want to be a part of? I think so. That growth would indicate at a macro level, yes. At the other macro I would say we are, our members are becoming more loyal and more valuable. So as Hyatt has grown in our brands and our portfolios, as we've offered more milestones from we went from 100 nights to 150 nights, nights, we are seeing more and more members stay more and spend more with us. And so again, we are sort of balancing both ends of that, continuing to acquire members and continuing to grow value with our current members. But in the more specific sense, I think I started this way, it goes back to listening. Uh, our members are very passionate. And so, so we have our own community where we will do pulse checks on either something that we're thinking about doing or something that we're, you know, um, that we have done and getting feedback on it. Uh, I spend time listening with members in feedback sessions. And so, um, you know, I think that's also something that just sets us apart, is we're not just looking at data and making choices, um, from a spreadsheet. We're spending thoughtful time with highly engaged members, making sure we're continuing to innovate and deliver on the future of what the expectations are. And I think what that leads us to is that World of Hyatt is setting the bar for what the future of loyalty is. And that's incredibly exciting.

Speaker B: So to me, as I just listened to you, it also strikes me that this is an approach with humility to too, you know, let me learn, you know, and, and that again, is something that can be missing, um, amongst brands. It's just the art of listening and accepting. You don't know everything, um, and just approaching things with great humility. So thank you for that. And, you know, here we are wrapping this up. Uh, I just wanted to give you the opportunity. Is there anything else you'd like to leave our listeners with today?

Speaker C: I mean, I think I would just wrap up first of all by saying thank you so much for the time and thank you for your listeners who have spent time this, ah, last little while with us, uh, listening to all about Hyatt and World of Hyatt. But, um, you know, my team and I are on a journey to continue, um, to harness the success of World of Hyatt. And how we think about loyalty is that it's not just earned through transactions, it's felt through experiences. And points are not just a currency, but a means to connection. And, um, you know, if we can take that and continue to involve World of Hyatt into, you know, a cultural, culturally relevant, emotionally resonant brand that our members continue to truly love, then that's success.

Speaker B: Well, the proof is in the pudding, so very well done, Lori. Um, I'm sure our listeners are going to want to know where they can connect with you. Is LinkedIn okay to. To keep furthering LinkedIn is great.

Speaker C: Absolutely.

Speaker B: Thank you. Well, thank you so much for your time today and thank you to our listeners. And until next time, for let's Talk Loyalty and Loyalty tv.

Speaker A: This show is sponsored by Wise Marketeer Group. Operating the Wise Marketeer and Loyalty Academy for nearly 25 years, the wise Marketer is the industry's longest serving publication and source for news, information and insights, which now includes its own branded industry research insights and advice for global coverage of customer engagement and loyalty. Check out thewisemarketer.com and become a Wiser Marketer member or subscriber. The Loyalty Academy sets ah, a global industry standard for loyalty education with its, uh, Certified Loyalty marketing professional, or CLMP designation, which has created a community of more than 1200 marketing executives and professionals across more than 50 countries. Learn more about global loyalty education for individuals or corporate training@loyaltyacademy.org thank you so much for listening to this episode of let's Talk Loyalty. If you'd like us to subscribe send you the latest shows each week. Uh, simply sign up for the let's Talk Loyalty newsletter on LetsTalkLoyalty.com and we'll send our best episodes straight to your inbox. And don't forget that you can follow let's Talk Loyalty on any of your favorite podcast platforms. And of course, we'd love for you to share your feedback and reviews. Thanks again for supporting the show. M.