The battle of the Hotel Loyalty Programmes: Southern Sun Frequent Guest versus Protea Hotel Prokard

.h — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:29:26 +0000

I had a look into the different options of loyalty programmes for our two largest hotel chains here in SA… Protea Hotel (Twitter | Website | Loyalty Programme) and Southern Sun (Twitter | Website | Loyalty Programme), after one of my colleagues mentioned recently “I’m going to Upington and don’t really care where [the office] places me – if there was a Southern Sun maybe I would have put up a fuss but there’s no need for me to stay in the Protea over a guest house”.So, what do you think?

Which one would you choose?

	Southern Sun Frequent Guest	Protea Hotel Prokard
Basic benefit level	Executive	No option available
Qualification criteria	Free	No option available
Loyalty rewards	5% – 10% spend back (depending on type of hotel)	0%
Voyager miles	y (depending on type of hotel)	n
Pay single, stay double	y	n
Any additional discount	0% – 15% (depending on type of hotel)	n

First benefit level	Executive Preferred	No option available
Qualification criteria	Free after 7 nights in 12 months	No option available
Loyalty rewards	5% - 12.5% spend back (depending on type of hotel)	0%

Second benefit level	Director	Silver
Qualification criteria	Free after 20 nights in 12 months	R395/year
Loyalty rewards	7.5% – 15% spend back (depending on type of hotel)	1 night after 15 nights once off Plus one night every 15-40 nights
Discount on rack rates	0%	Up to 20%
Additional discount on discounted rates	0% – 20% (depending on type of hotel)	5%
Priority reservations	y	n
Early checkin, late checkout	y	y
Welcome gift	y	n
Complimentary newspaper	y (Mon-Fri)	n
Other discount	15% on all food and beverages 10% on Spa treatments	n
Other benefits	Preferential Europcar Preferential Executive Carport	Preferential Budget
Complimentary room upgrades, where available	n	y
Dedicated checkin, checkout	y (some hotels)	n

Highest benefit level	President	Gold
Qualification criteria	Free after 60 nights in 12 months	R1090/year
Loyalty rewards	10% – 20% spend back (depending on type of hotel)	1 night after 15 nights once off Plus one night every 15-40 nights
Discount on rack rates	0%	Up to 20%
Additional discount on discounted rates	0% – 20% (depending on type of hotel)	5%
Priority reservations	y	n
Early checkin, late checkout	y	y
Welcome gift	y	n
Complimentary newspaper	y (Daily)	n
Other discount	Food and beverages up to 20% (depending on type of hotel)	Food and beverages 25%-50% (depending on number of people)
Other benefits	10% on Spa treatments	Preferential Budget 1 x free night any Protea 1 x stay one night, next night free and Protea 1 x Breakfast for two Plus 6 other vouchers for specified hotels Plus one time friend card use
Other benefits	Preferential Europcar Preferential Executive Carport Loyalty Points never expire
Complimentary room upgrades, where available	y	y
Dedicated checkin, checkout	y (some hotels)	n

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The battle of the Hotel Loyalty Programmes: Southern Sun Frequent Guest versus Protea Hotel Prokard