For me, one of many largest drawbacks of lodge loyalty applications is that they omit many distinctive unbiased accommodations. In actual fact, a few of my most spectacular stays did not supply a strategy to reward visitors. Enter: Journey, a brand new journey app that hopes to alter this with a loyalty program completely for boutique accommodations.
Here is what we all know to this point concerning the just lately launched app and journey platform referred to as Journey.
What Journey gives
Journey companions with a curated community of roughly 1,500 unbiased accommodations and personal rental properties, with greater than 1,500 within the technique of being added within the coming weeks. These embrace some beautiful properties, from boutique accommodations and ski chalets to treehouse resorts and floating properties.
The purpose? To let members earn and redeem factors on “stays with soul,” fairly than the cookie-cutter properties that make up the majority of different, extra mainstream lodge loyalty applications. Journey’s present choices embrace Onera Wimberley’s treetop villas close to Austin, Nihi accommodations in Indonesia and Black Forty Glamping in Meaford, Ontario.
Though the Journey app appears to be aimed toward luxurious vacationers, its properties run the gamut by way of value level. You will discover choices that price $300 an evening, in addition to these priced at $3,000 an evening.
“For too lengthy, loyalty in journey has meant selecting between factors and persona — between incomes rewards and staying someplace that really conjures up you,” stated John Sutton, founder and CEO of Journey. “We constructed Journey to shut that hole. We have curated the primary platform of actually unbiased accommodations and personal leases, enabling vacationers to earn significant rewards with out sacrificing character, to make use of their factors (and even their pending factors) in actual time for unforgettable experiences.”
Based mostly on the web site, most of Journey’s present properties appear to be concentrated in North America, however this community will presumably develop with time.
We observed that there could also be some overlap with different loyalty applications. For instance, considered one of Journey’s alliance properties, Dunton Sizzling Springs in Colorado, is a Mr & Mrs Smith property bookable by World of Hyatt.
Past offering unforgettable stays, Journey hopes to raise visitors’ experiences with personalised suggestions. Based on the location, Journey AI analyzes visitor habits to create a profile — and refine it with every keep — to “predict what a visitor wants earlier than they ask.” So, in principle, a lodge may know earlier than you arrive that you just favor a martini as an alternative of Champagne as a welcome drink, for instance.
Each day E-newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Each day publication
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s specialists
The concept is that the longer you are a Journey member, the higher the app and its companion properties will get to know your particular person journey type.
How the Journey loyalty program works
The method of becoming a member of Journey appears a bit daunting, as the web site encourages visitors to “apply” and “request an invite.” However all I needed to do was enter a number of fundamental particulars like my identify, birthdate and cellphone quantity. Then, I had the choice to fill in my Instagram deal with (to doubtlessly get particular gives and rewards) and point out my favourite accommodations (for Journey to think about including to its alliance). As soon as I accomplished these steps, voila! I used to be a member.
The app additionally requested for my different cellphone numbers and e mail addresses so it may seek for previous stays with alliance properties. I did not have any, however in response to a Journey consultant, “Journey might grant you factors for that previous keep relying on what campaigns our companions might have in place and the way latest the keep was.” So, retroactive factors are by no means assured, however nonetheless, it is a good characteristic that the majority loyalty applications do not supply.
As soon as logged into my account, I may discover properties by kind — from castles to yurts — and see particular bonus level gives.
You possibly can be a part of Journey free of charge right here.
Though Journey is totally up and operating, particulars on how the loyalty program works are just a little skinny. Here is what we all know to this point:
- Primary members earn 5 factors per greenback spent on stays booked straight with Journey alliance properties.
- Members can pool factors or switch factors to others with no charges, minimums or maximums.
- To protect in opposition to devaluations, Journey ensures “the worth of factors at redemption won’t ever be under $0.01 USD.”
One other fascinating characteristic is the power to make use of pending factors throughout a keep.
“Relying in your standing degree with Journey, you should utilize 50-100% of your pending factors for on-stay purchases,” Journey claims.
For instance, as an example you booked a $1,000 keep, which might earn you 5,000 factors after you checked out. As a fundamental member, you would redeem as much as 50% of these factors (or 2,500 factors) for meals, drinks or different on-site purchases throughout your keep, earlier than the factors even land in your account.
There are 4 elite tiers you’ll be able to unlock by incomes a set variety of factors:
- Nomad: 18,000 factors
- Navigator: 50,000 factors
- Ambassador: 125,000 factors
- Legend: 250,000 factors
- Icon: invite-only
Perks for incomes standing embrace waived resort charges, waived pet charges, suite upgrades and versatile check-in and checkout occasions.
Backside line
The hole between factors and persona has narrowed in recent times, with main factors applications incorporating extra unique stays like glamping and applications like One Key providing a wider vary of unbiased accommodations. Nevertheless, Journey is the primary program to incorporate solely boutique properties.
The most recent loyalty program on the lodge scene remains to be getting its legs beneath it, nevertheless it looks like a promising addition to the world of factors and miles, particularly for luxurious vacationers in search of unforgettable stays.
