Travellers value hotel rewards more than spouse

Seventy-three percent of travellers would choose hotel loyalty programme benefits over their spouse if they could take just one of them on their travels, according to a survey of almost 10,000 globetrotters by Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG).

More than three quarters (76%) of respondents said they felt their status in a hotel loyalty programme would last longer than their marriage or current job, reported Starwood.

The respondents, all of whom travel more than 25 times a year, also said they were more scared of losing their status in a hotel loyalty programme (65%) than of losing their luggage (12%) or missing a flight (11%).

Other key findings included: 74% of respondents said they would take an extra trip just to rack up miles or status in a loyalty programme; 45% of respondents would pretend it was their honeymoon to get a better hotel room or hotel/airline travel upgrade; and 50% said hotel loyalty programmes were the most important rewards schemes, followed by credit card (19%) and airline (13%).

The study was commissioned to celebrate the launch of a series of new SPG benefits, including 24-hour check-in for members who spend 75+ nights at Starwood hotels annually.