SkyTouch Technology, along with Voila Hotel Rewards and Cobblestone Hotels have collaborated to refresh and relaunch the Cobblestone Rewards loyalty program. The new points-based loyalty program, powered by the Voila Hotel Rewards platform and network, replaces Cobblestone Hotels' previous 'punch-card' based guest-rewards strategy, and allows hotel guests to earn points and redeem them for roomnights, gift cards, charity donation and miles through many major airlines.
The SkyTouch cloud-based property-management system, used at the vast majority of Cobblestone properties, is seamlessly integrated with Voila’s IT platform, thereby providing Cobblestone's hotel staff with a fully integrated guest loyalty solution.
"In recent years, hoteliers have been placing greater emphasis on providing access to a simple, attractive loyalty program to enhance their brands," said Josie Kilgore, Cobblestone Hotels' VP of brand services and procurement in a statement. "Any advancement in technology or strategy has a cost attached to it, so we wanted to wait until we identified a great, scalable solution with a positive [return on investment]. The fact that the Voila platform could be integrated directly with SkyTouch's PMS provided a clear path to a very elegant and easy to implement loyalty solution for our Cobblestone properties and loyal guests."
The new Cobblestone Hotels Rewards program also provides three tiers of membership for guests:
- Silver: Guests qualify instantly with zero room nights, and benefits include priority check-in and the ability to accrue 10 points per dollar spent for every night of their stay.
- Gold: Members qualify after 10 nights per year and enjoy a 25-percent bonus on points, early and late check-ins, free room upgrades and complimentary access to the hotel fitness and wellness centers.
- Platinum: Members qualify after 20 nights per year, and enjoy a 50-percent bonus on points as well as no blackout dates and complimentary access to hotel amenities.
"Rewards are appealing, particularly to corporate travelers. They can use the points they earn for hotel stays toward flights or gift cards for friends or family," Kilgore said. "Before launching the new Cobblestone Rewards program, we only offered a cash option or reward credit. This new reward program is exactly what a lot of guests have been asking for, and it helps drive direct bookings. If we can sway only one booking away from a competitor, it makes a difference."