VIP Access™ property stands out with Members-Only deals

The Horton Grand Hotel, a historic 100-year-old property in San Diego, California, found itself in the position of having to stand out against big-box names with larger inventories and marketing budgets. The boutique hotel prides itself on offering a great guest experience that well-travelled guests would seek out. They are part of our VIP Access programme, which showcases properties that offer exceptional experiences to guests and special perks to our One Key^™ rewards members***. Hotel staff often monitor guest reviews and look for ways to improve the check-in and stay experience.

The hotel determined it was facing tapering demand after an initial post-pandemic spike and realised it was struggling to compete against big box chains with larger budgets. They needed to evaluate their distribution strategy to remain competitive long term.

Expedia Group has been a trusted partner of the Horton Grand for decades, and the hotel relies on insights and guidance from both Partner Central and their account management team to inform decision making. From different promotions to Accelerator, they leverage a variety of tools and tactics to attract travellers to their property. In particular, they have found that Members Only Deals, which allow them to offer discounts to our One Key rewards programme members, are particularly effective for reaching guests who spend more and book more often.** 

In 2023, when their account manager told them that we were revamping our Members-Only deals to allow properties to tailor their offers by rewards member tier, the hotel jumped on the opportunity to be an early adopter. ‘We want to push all the right buttons to bring suitable, profitable customers to our hotel. We look to Expedia Group to provide its cream-of-the-crop members via Members-Only deals and the VIP Access programme,’ explained William Koo, Chief Revenue Architect and a consultant for the hotel.

The new Member Only Deal tier targeting allowed the Horton Grand Hotel to more effectively attract high-value travellers in our Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers—travellers they may not have reached otherwise. 

‘Platinum and Gold members are more sophisticated travellers […] We utilise these Members Only Deals for exposure and market penetration, as well as to target these travellers,’ said William. 

The improved Members Only Deals will be a key part of their strategy going forward, and the hotel plans to run more tests to determine which offers resonate best with different tiers.

Horton Grand plans to continue growing revenue without expanding its inventory, so channel mix and distribution will remain crucial to their success. Working closely with their responsive account manager will help them stay ahead of and on top of their business needs as they arise.

In the next five years, they want to continue making strategic data-driven decisions together, strengthening their partnership with Expedia Group, while evolving with market trends and emerging technology like AI.