NEWTON, Massachusettes—Sonesta International Hotels Corporation announced the debut of its unified loyalty program, Sonesta Travel Pass, and combined website, ushering in a new era for its six million members worldwide. Following Sonesta’s acquisition of Red Lion Hotels Corporation, the updated website brings Sonesta’s brands, including Royal Sonesta, Sonesta Hotels & Resorts, and Sonesta ES Suites, together with the Red Lion brands, including the eponymous Red Lion Hotel, Americas Best Value Inn, and Signature Inn under one umbrella and into a centralized booking site.
With Sonesta Travel Pass now serving as the singular loyalty program for the entire portfolio, members can access unified benefits and a single currency across a network of 1,100 hotels. Members can accrue and redeem points across all 13 brands, with former Red Lion Hello Rewards members transitioning into Sonesta Travel Pass. Sonesta Travel Pass points accumulate and hold a higher per-dollar value, eliminating the need to accumulate tens of thousands of points for a single night’s stay. Additionally, members enjoy perks such as complimentary upgrades, welcome gifts, and parking with every stay.
“Sonesta Travel Pass members now have endless opportunities to make memories at nearly 1,100 hotel destinations,” says Chris Trick, Sonesta’s chief marketing officer. “By creating a unified booking platform and loyalty program, we are not only expanding opportunities for rewards and benefits but also forging stronger connections across our family of brands. For example, frequent guests of Red Lion Hotel, Inn & Suites by Sonesta can now explore a Sonesta MOD hotel with their points, while Signature Inn by Sonesta guests might also become Sonesta Simply Suites loyalists.”
To support this launch, Sonesta released a new consumer campaign in May, entitled Rewards Season. With promotional materials starring actress Judy Greer, Rewards Season encourages members to join the newly expanded Sonesta Travel Pass (STP) and book or redeem their travel through Sonesta’s website. Inspired by awards season, the Rewards Season campaign uses Judy’s comedic presence to introduce Sonesta Travel Pass. Throughout the spot, Judy’s status elevates from Bronze to Platinum, showing the way loyalty members move through the STP tiers fast (only 40 nights per year are required to be eligible for Platinum). While Judy may be dressed in her awards season finery, Rewards Season highlights the everyday perks available to every member of Sonesta Travel Pass, black-tie attire is optional, including complimentary upgrades, free breakfast (for gold members), and welcome gifts for every stay. While Judy dreams of staying in Miami, Hilton Head, and Puerto Rico, STP members earn points at every Sonesta location, from Cairo to Kauai.
“Our portfolio has so much breadth, we wanted to make sure that Sonesta Travel Pass members are rewarded for different types of stays,” says Elizabeth Harlow, chief brand officer, Sonesta, “Whether they’re booking a family vacation at a Sonesta Hotel & Resort, saving up points for an Americas Best Value Inn road trip, or booking a luxurious Royal Sonesta long weekend, Sonesta has a brand to fit every traveler and every trip, all now bookable with points.”
