It has been a notable few weeks for luxury independent brand Preferred Hotels, with the company not only unveiling the winners of its ‘Preferred Awards of Excellence’ but also announcing the launch of new loyalty platform, the ‘I Prefer Alliance’.

The new loyalty platform is an extension of I Prefer Hotel Rewards, which was first introduced in 2013 and has since grown to three million customers. The I Prefer Alliance offers the nuts and bolts of the existing membership to independent hotels and regional hotel brands, providing participating partner hotels with the tools to reward their own loyalty members with the benefits of I Prefer Hotel Rewards.

This includes complimentary internet access, early check-in / late check-out and even room upgrades (subject to availability) for every eligible stay. 

“More visibility for partner properties”

Guest loyalty with impact

Discussing the new development, which debuted with Tokyu Hotels in mid-February, Jeri Salazar, Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ vice president of loyalty, said: “As Preferred Hotels & Resorts entered its 51st year of championing the independent hotel experience, we identified an opportunity to further support our hotel partners’ individual goals related to fostering more impactful guest loyalty.

“I Prefer Alliance was created to provide independent hotels with the flexibility to personalize their own programs in a way that would help drive more loyalty from their current members, while creating more visibility for partner properties and all hotels that participate in I Prefer among a growing and highly engaged travel community who prefer authentic, inspiring travel experiences.

“We look forward to integrating more hotel partners into I Prefer Alliance globally in the months ahead.”

Quality assurance

The announcement is the second important milestone for Preferred in 2019 and its partners in 2019, with the American firm also revealing who made the cut for its Preferred Awards of Excellence earlier this week. These awards shine a spotlight on the Preferred members who have excelled within Preferred’s  ‘Integrated Quality Assurance Programme’.

Using a mix of on-site inspections and customer feedback through sites such consumer websites such as TripAdvisor as part of the criteria for selection process, the awards were at the closing ceremony of the 2019 Preferred Global Conference, in Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort on 1 March.

“Distinctly unique and authentic”

Preferred Hotels CEO, Lindsey Ueberroth said: “It is a genuine honour to host these awards each year in recognition of the remarkable hoteliers and their dedicated teams who are committed to excellence in the independent hotel space.

“They set a strong example for their peers, and I am continuously impressed by their ongoing efforts to set new industry standards across every region and every category, in addition to taking the time to execute on impactful initiatives that support their local communities. Distinctly unique and authentic in their approach, the award winners are connected through exemplary leadership and a passion for delivering diverse and memorable travel experiences.”

This year’s winners

• Hotel of the Year Overall: The Leela Palace Udaipur (Udaipur, India)
• Hotel of the Year – Asia Pacific:The Siam (Bangkok, Thailand)
• Hotel of the Year – United States & Canada:Edgewood Tahoe Resort (Nevada, United States)
• Hotel of the Year – Latin America:Hotel Unique (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
• Hotel of the Year – Mexico & Caribbean:Condado Vanderbilt Hotel (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
• Hotel of the Year – Europe:The Alpina Gstaad (Gstaad, Switzerland)
• Hotel of the Year – India, Middle East & Africa: The Imperial New Delhi (New Delhi, India)
• New Hotel of the Year – Resort:Montage Los Cabos (Cabos San Lucas, Mexico)
• New Hotel of the Year – City Center:The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston (Texas, United States)
• Hotelier of the Year:Stephan Stokkermans, Managing Director, Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin (Noordwijk aan Zee, Netherlands)
• I PreferHotel of the Year: Pacific Gateway Hotel at Vancouver Airport (British Columbia, Canada)