The Role of Partnerships Grows as Hotel Loyalty Shifts from Points to Experience

The fundamental equation in hotel loyalty programs has been the same for years: stay, earn points, use your points on your next trip. However, the partnerships developed by major hotel groups recently have begun to change this structure.

In a news article dated August 19, 2026, from Hotel Dive, Lucy Werner, Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships at Marriott International, describes the expanding network of partnerships for Marriott Bonvoy, ranging from sports organizations to airlines, coffee to ride-sharing. According to Werner, the goal is to engage with members not only on the days they stay at the hotel but also through their interests and daily lives.

This approach transforms loyalty programs from a discount or free night mechanism into a broader commercial platform.

Experience is now the reward itself

Marriott Bonvoy’s Moments platform allows members to use their points for sports, gastronomy, art, entertainment, and other special experiences. Some of these experiences include VIP access that cannot be purchased normally, as stated in Marriott's current program announcement.

Speaking to Hotel Dive, Werner mentions that participation in Marriott Bonvoy Moments has grown at “high double-digit percentages” annually. This company statement should not be considered independent financial performance data; however, it indicates that Marriott is increasing its investment in experience-based rewards.

Sports is one of the most visible areas of this strategy. Through Marriott’s partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team, Bonvoy members can access opportunities such as exclusive lounge access, track experiences, meet-and-greets with team members, and race weekend packages at certain races.

The company is also working with organizations like the NCAA and the U.S. Soccer Federation. In the “Where Gameday Checks In” campaign announced in March 2026, some members were able to participate in Final Four experiences for just one Bonvoy point.

The model here is different from a classic discount. Instead of lowering the room rate, the brand is trying to offer the customer access that is not easily found elsewhere.

The value of sponsorship differentiates from logo visibility

One of the notable points in Werner's statement to Hotel Dive is that Marriott does not want to view its sports sponsorships merely as logo placement opportunities.

The company is trying to transform these sponsorships into experiences that members can access. For example, the “Sleepover Suite” concept used in some sports organizations turns a suite in the stadium into a one-night hotel room. This way, the hotel brand becomes part of the experience rather than just an advertiser around the event.

This approach represents a significant marketing shift for hotels. If sponsorship investment is measured solely through access and visibility, it is difficult to see the real customer relationship. When experience is tied to the loyalty program, however, more tangible results can be tracked through membership, point usage, and customer behavior.

Loyalty continues outside the hotel

Another change is that hotel chains want to engage with members even during the periods between their travels.

Marriott's partnership portfolio includes everyday brands like Uber and Starbucks, as well as credit card companies, airlines, car rental, and cruise companies. According to Hotel Dive, Marriott uses these partnerships to connect different touchpoints in the guest's travel journey to the Bonvoy system.

Current program information from Marriott indicates that Bonvoy members can earn points not only from accommodations but also from restaurant, beverage, golf, and spa expenditures; they can also generate points through various partnerships and transfer them to different travel products. Marriott has over 35 airline partners.

This structure could increase the frequency of loyalty program usage. A customer may stay at a hotel only a few times a year, while they engage in coffee, transportation, or card expenditures much more frequently.

Connecting the loyalty program to these daily behaviors gives the hotel company the opportunity to build relationships with guests outside of their travels.

Marriott is not alone

The experience and partnership-based loyalty model is not unique to Marriott.

According to Hilton's investor presentation in May 2026, Hilton Honors has reached approximately 251 million members, and Honors members make up about 67% of the overall occupancy in the system. The company highlights experience-focused products like Points & Money, earning points through Lyft, and Hilton Honors Adventures in the program's growth.

Through Hilton Honors Adventures, the collaboration with Explora Journeys has expanded the hotel loyalty program to cruise travel. Members will be able to earn and use Hilton Honors points on Explora trips starting in the summer of 2026.

Accor is also following a similar path. According to the company's announcement in August 2026, ALL Accor is currently working with over 140 partners in travel, finance, entertainment, and other areas. Accor defines this system as an ecosystem that will keep members engaged not only during their hotel stays but also in their daily lives.

These examples show that the competition in hotel loyalty can no longer be explained solely by the question of "who gives more points?"

Selling experiences also requires operations

While the marketing side of experience-based loyalty programs may seem strong, there are operational costs for hotels.

Offering VIP events, special gastronomy experiences, or personalized programs requires reservation, transfer, concierge service, partner coordination, and guest communication.

Any issues with services provided by partners can also reflect on the hotel brand in the eyes of the customer. If a transportation company, restaurant, or event organizer fails to meet expectations, the guest may not solely blame the partner.

Therefore, when choosing partners, service standards, customer data usage, integration capacity, and problem-solving processes must also be evaluated alongside follower or brand awareness.

No hotel needs a Formula 1 partnership

It is not possible for independent hotels to replicate the partnerships that global companies like Marriott have with Formula 1, major sports organizations, and international brands on the same scale.

However, the fundamental principles of the model can be applied to smaller businesses.

A city hotel can work with local gastronomy tours, art galleries, concert halls, or wellness businesses. Resort hotels can create packages with diving, biking, boating, or gastronomy businesses in the destination. Boutique hotels can develop experiences with local producers and designers that are accessible only to their guests.

Here, alignment is more important than scale.

If the partner does not align with the hotel's customer profile, meaningful results on loyalty may not occur even if broad access is provided.

Opportunities for hotels in Turkey

Turkey's strong gastronomy, culture, sports, and destination diversity create an important product pool for experience-based hotel loyalty.

In Istanbul, gastronomy, art, and events; in Bodrum and Antalya, sea, wellness, and sports; in Cappadocia, nature and culture experiences can be tied to hotel stays.

However, designing these collaborations solely as package sales may not be sufficient to create loyalty.

Hotels need to provide truly different access to members or returning guests. Presenting an activity that every customer can purchase online at the same price as a "special loyalty experience" may limit the perceived value of the program.

Stafflink’s view

In the future of hotel loyalty programs, points will not disappear. However, what the points provide access to is becoming more important.

In our view, the strong aspect of the experience and partnership strategy is that it allows the hotel to build relationships with its customers before and after room reservations. Conversely, simply increasing the number of partnerships does not strengthen loyalty.

The most valuable partnerships will be those that address a need that the guest is genuinely interested in, align with the hotel's brand identity, and offer a benefit that the customer cannot easily obtain elsewhere.

For hotel businesses, the metrics to be measured should go beyond the number of members: the usage rate of partner experiences, repeat bookings, direct booking share, revenue per member, and satisfaction after the experience should be tracked together.

The new competitive area of loyalty is not about distributing more points; it is about showing the guest why they should continue to stay within this hotel ecosystem.