Guest loyalty
Designing membership levels a guest can explain to a friend
2026-04-09 · 5 min read
If your tiers need a table to understand, they are already too complicated.
Three levels is almost always right. Two feels like nothing; five means most members sit in a tier they cannot describe.
Set the first threshold low enough that a second stay reaches it. The purpose of the first upgrade is to prove the programme is real.
Attach benefits you can deliver on your worst night, not your best. A benefit you withdraw when the hotel is full damages more trust than it ever created.
Say the thresholds in stays or nights rather than points where you can. 'Three stays' is understandable; '4,500 points' requires arithmetic.
Then leave it alone. Frequently changing tiers signals that the programme is a marketing campaign rather than a promise.