The 1 Hotels brand has more than doubled its loyalty program membership to over 200,000 since July by abandoning the hotel industry’s traditional currency: reward points.
In July, the nature-themed luxury brand owned by Barry Sternlicht’s Starwood Hotels soft-launched its revamped 1 Hotels’ Mission Membership program.
Instead of accumulating points toward free stays, members receive a planted tree through the Arbor Day Foundation when they join. The brand also donates 1% of each member’s spending to environmental nonprofits rather than offering redeemable rewards.
The unconventional approach comes from a company with deep loyalty program expertise. Sternlicht led Starwood Hotels & Resorts in the 1990s when it created the Starwood Preferred Guest program, which became one of the industry’s most influential loyalty initiatives. Marriott acquired that company in 2016, and Sternlicht bought back the Starwood Hotels name later.
Now Sternlicht’
