They’ve come for the free Wi-Fi. They’ve stayed (briefly) for the perks. Hotel loyalty programmes are ballooning in size and still proving their worth even as the average member becomes more of a casual couch-surfer than a seasoned suitcase warrior.
According to data from CBRE’s Trends in the Hotel Industry, global hotel loyalty programme membership surged by 14.5%, reaching 675 million members in 2024. That growth left actual room supply in the dust, pushing “members per room” up 7.4%, a sign that loyalty programmes are more than just points clubs. They’ve become a go-to strategy for filling beds and balancing books.
While more people are joining the programmes, they’re staying less. Average room nights per member fell 4% to just one night per year. Analysts blame the rise of retail travellers: those who rack up points via branded credit cards or casual bookings, not road-warrior routines.
One-night stands have their benefits
Loyalty members filled 52.8% of occupied rooms in 2024, up from 50.8% the year before. Even as liabilities fell by 5.3% per member, meaning guests are burning points almost as fast as they earn them, occupancy grew.
Hotels are leaning into this shift, investing in shoulder-season redemptions and perks like food credits, spa bonuses and flexible check-in options to keep loyalty members engaged. Twenty-one new brand partnerships in 2024 helped fuel both membership and fresh use cases.
The cost of all this loyalty is still a relative bargain. Fees rose 4.4% last year, outpacing revenue growth, but only hit $5.46 per occupied room, which is just 1.6% of hotel revenue.
Owners might feel a pinch as perks like free water and late checkout chip away at margins, but they’re buying what CBRE calls “occupancy insurance.” And as long as guests keep redeeming and brands keep finding new ways to make loyalty feel exclusive, this sprawling points parade shows no signs of slowing.