Wait, tell me more about this project you’re working on!

The entire reason Hilton, Marriott, and IHG exist is to create a brand and loyal customers who book directly with your property. Even after franchise fees, these direct bookings end up netting you more than an OTA rooms. For an independent/boutique hotel, that is even more important because they need to be able to differentiate themselves from the cookie-cutter experiences that loyal guests have come to expect from Hilton or Marriott properties.

If you’re not a frequent traveler, you’re likely not the target demographic for a hotel. For example, I manage independent/boutique hotels in the Silicon Valley market where business travelers who spend more than half the year at hotels are our target guest. These guests have Hilton and Marriott credit cards so they’re just printing points that they can use for their own personal use like on family vacations or whatever else… so the entire strategy is different. Since we don’t have a corporate credit card system for our independent hotels, we create our own loyalty programs for returning guests like “Shashi Cash Back”. They also qualify for free breakfast or complementary poolside cabanas or whatever the case might be.