Hotel Loyalty is Going Down

People seem to be cheating on more than just their partners.

According to a Deloitte survey, a small eight per cent of consumers are always loyal to specific hotel brands.

"With heightened competition and eroding customer loyalty, hotels and airlines, now, more than ever, need to focus on enhancing and personalizing the consumer experience," said Adam Weissenberg in a statement. He is the vice chairman, Deloitte LLP and U.S. Travel, Hospitality and Leisure leader.

The survey also found that customers believed grocery stores had better loyalty programs. About half of respondents were satisfied with their hotel's loyalty program.

The most important aspect of choosing a hotel is comfort and location for consumers. When it comes to the actual booking, 61 per cent of respondents said they used hotel sites the most to book their stay and they primarily want a secure and easy purchase process, along with email discounts and up-to-date news.

"Travel brands need to be more innovative and clear in communicating their product and service offerings," said Weissenberg. "For example, Deloitte's research showed that while earning and redeeming points are the most important attributes for choosing hotel and airline loyalty programs, travel brands should focus on enhancing the customer experience, making rewards personally meaningful, encouraging loyalty with unexpected rewards if they want to boost consumer engagement, and ultimately building long-term customer relationships."