For me, one of many greatest drawbacks of lodge loyalty packages is that they miss many distinctive unbiased accommodations. In actual fact, a few of my most spectacular stays did not provide a solution to reward friends. Enter: Journey, a brand new journey app that hopes to alter this with a loyalty program solely for boutique accommodations.
Here is what we all know thus far concerning the not too long ago launched app and journey platform referred to as Journey.
What Journey provides
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 embody some beautiful properties, from boutique accommodations and ski chalets to treehouse resorts and floating properties.
The aim? To let members earn and redeem factors on “stays with soul,” relatively than the cookie-cutter properties that make up the majority of different, extra mainstream lodge loyalty packages. Journey’s present choices embody 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 geared toward luxurious vacationers, its properties run the gamut when it comes to worth 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 character — between incomes rewards and staying someplace that really evokes 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.”
Primarily based 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 packages. For instance, considered one of Journey’s alliance properties, Dunton Sizzling Springs in Colorado, is a Mr & Mrs Smith property bookable via World of Hyatt.
Past offering unforgettable stays, Journey hopes to raise friends’ experiences with customized suggestions. In accordance with the positioning, Journey AI analyzes visitor conduct to create a profile — and refine it with every keep — to “predict what a visitor wants earlier than they ask.” So, in idea, a lodge may know earlier than you arrive that you just choose a martini as an alternative of Champagne as a welcome drink, for instance.
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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 fashion.
How the Journey loyalty program works
The method of becoming a member of Journey appears a bit daunting, as the web site encourages friends to “apply” and “request an invite.” However all I needed to do was enter a couple of fundamental particulars like my identify, birthdate and telephone quantity. Then, I had the choice to fill in my Instagram deal with (to probably get particular provides and rewards) and point out my favourite accommodations (for Journey to contemplate 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 telephone numbers and e mail addresses so it may seek for previous stays with alliance properties. I did not have any, however based on 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, this can be a good characteristic that the majority loyalty packages do not provide.
As soon as logged into my account, I may discover properties by sort — from castles to yurts — and see particular bonus level provides.
You’ll be able to be a part of Journey free of charge right here.
Though Journey is totally up and working, particulars on how the loyalty program works are just a little skinny. Here is what we all know thus far:
- Primary members earn 5 factors per greenback spent on stays booked immediately with Journey alliance properties.
- Members can pool factors or switch factors to others with no charges, minimums or maximums.
- To protect towards devaluations, Journey ensures “the worth of factors at redemption won’t ever be under $0.01 USD.”
One other attention-grabbing characteristic is the flexibility to make use of pending factors throughout a keep.
“Relying in your standing stage with Journey, you need to use 50-100% of your pending factors for on-stay purchases,” Journey claims.
For instance, as an instance you booked a $1,000 keep, which might earn you 5,000 factors after you checked out. As a fundamental member, you may 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 possibly can 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 embody waived resort charges, waived pet charges, suite upgrades and versatile check-in and checkout instances.
Backside line
The hole between factors and character has narrowed in recent times, with main factors packages incorporating extra authentic stays like glamping and packages like One Key providing a wider vary of unbiased accommodations. Nonetheless, Journey is the primary program to incorporate solely boutique properties.
The most recent loyalty program on the lodge scene continues to be getting its legs beneath it, but it surely looks as if a promising addition to the world of factors and miles, particularly for luxurious vacationers in search of unforgettable stays.
