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It was January 1986, and Irene Roberts was starting out as an evening supervisor in the reservation call center for Super 8 Motels. She was a few years out of college, with administrative experience under her belt, and the hospitality industry was calling.
After about nine months, a position for the director of Super 8’s then-VIP Club frequent traveler program opened. Roberts got the job and “quickly fell in love with all things loyalty,” she told Hotel Dive.
Now, Roberts has nearly four decades of hotel loyalty experience under her belt. She spent roughly 30 years of her career at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, running international operations and managing contact centers, and ultimately landed at My Place Hotels in 2017. As vice president of brand loyalty at My Place, Roberts helped to build the extended stay brand’s Stay Rewarded loyalty program.
Earlier this month, Roberts bid farewell to My Place, and the hospitality industry, retiring after an impressive career. Ahead of her departure, she sat down with Hotel Dive to discuss all things loyalty, including the lessons she’s learned about loyalty strategies and guest preferences, advice for the younger generation of hospitality pros starting out today and the top trends she thinks will impact hotel loyalty this year and beyond.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
IRENE ROBERTS: Getting hotel managers engaged and getting their feedback is huge, and taking that feedback and incorporating it when you can is another very big thing. It’s about making sure they’re involved and they understand what the loyalty program brings to them.
“Loyalty programs present a huge opportunity to gather information on your customers and know who your customers are. However, today people aren’t as willing to share their personal information. If guests are part of a loyalty program, you can incentivize them to share more information because there is a return on their investment for sharing, and that’s huge.”
Irene Roberts
My Place Hotels VP of Brand Loyalty
Additionally, the hotel industry has become more focused on making sure loyalty programs are easy for the guest. I think personalization has come a long way. It’s about letting the guest know that you know them, without being creepy.
Loyalty programs present a huge opportunity to gather information on your customers and know who your customers are. However, today people aren’t as willing to share their personal information. If guests are part of a loyalty program, you can incentivize them to share more information because there is a return on their investment for sharing, and that’s huge. Hotels that are doing that well have a great way to communicate with their guests and communicate specific offers.
