Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Tuesday, the luxury hotelier announced a new loyalty program as well as its first ever mobile app.
This program aims to redefine the meaning of “program” [guest] recognition in the luxury space — not through points and redemptions, but through forging a closer connection with members,” said Alex Schellenberger, chief brand and marketing officer.
The “Fans of M.O.The “Silk and Pearl” program does not offer point redemptions or tier classes such as “platinum” or “titanium”, but instead invites only communities with names such as “Silk” or “Titanium”.
The revamped program will offer new “spontaneous moment” redemption options as opposed to formulaic offers like room upgrades. Local hotels are encouraged to offer redemptions that reflect the uniqueness of each property.
As a general rule, the longer and more money you spend, the more unique experiences are revealed. Think about invitation-only art shows at local galleries and intimate meals prepared by Michelin-starred chefs.
Before this week the incentives for guests to sign up to the free program included more basic things, like getting access to Wi-Fi.
Mandarin Oriental’s First App
Mandarin Oriental has also launched a mobile application for iOS and Android. The app offers digital services that span the entire customer journey, from bookings to itinerary planning and in-stay requests.
Andrew Cleary said, “The real innovation lies in the ability to engage and to recognize and understand across different touchpoints.”
The company is hoping that the new chat feature will expose not only overnight guests, but also casual customers to its bars and restaurants.
Cleary noted that local fans outnumbered in-staying visitors by five to one. Cleary said that they wanted to engage with customers more frequently. The app will facilitate bookings for our local customers who use our spa and food services.
The hotel chain has developed an app that gives staff access to profiles and preferences of guests in real time. It is important that staff can access relevant information when serving customers.
Peter Norris who is the head of digital at the company explained: “Everything that the customer tells us through the app facing the customer, is passed on to the colleague via the colleague app.”
Executives said that while check-out features and payment options were not available at the time of app launch, they would be coming soon.
Mandarin Oriental has big growth ambitions. In the next decade, it plans to more that double its portfolio of 43 hotels and 12 residences.
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