Q&A: Accommodation Curation Will Change the Loyalty Landscape

SKIFT TAKE

Loyalty programs should provide curated accommodations suggestions, rather than calling it a perk if they send their customers back to a generic search box to start again from scratch.

Airlines, banks, and other financial institutions have firmly planted their flags in the travel loyalty space. However, when it comes time to book hotels with points or miles in these loyalty programs, members are often directed to the same accommodation choices they can find on any other travel site.

Many travel brands seem to believe that simply giving access to accommodations through their loyalty programs provides more value, when the reality is actually quite the opposite. Customers become loyal through personalized experiences, and if the overall value matches what they could find on any other public site, they won’t stick around. They’re looking for stays that meet their personal preferences in the moment, whether that means a customized property type, location, length of stay, price, or points redemption opportunity.

In other words, loyalty programs should provide curated suggestions, rather than calling it a perk when they send customers back to a generic search box to start again from scratch.

SkiftX spoke with Benny Yonovich, CEO & Co-founder of Arbitrip, about how loyalty programs can use data-backed personalization technology to unlock exclusive accommodation inventory and curated, reliable stay experiences that deliver more consistent value to their customers, elevate satisfaction, reduce choice overload, and convert occasional travelers into loyal members.

SkiftX: How have travelers’ loyalty expectations changed in the past several years, and what impact is that having on program providers? 

Benny Yonovich: Traveler expectations around loyalty have completely evolved. It’s no longer about earning points and waiting for a reward. Travelers want loyalty that feels relevant in their everyday journeys. They expect personalization, flexibility, and real value that extends beyond flights.

That shift is forcing traditional loyalty programs, especially in aviation, to rethink how they deliver engagement. It’s not enough to reward customers once they redeem. Loyalty programs that once focused almost exclusively on flight redemptions now recognize that members want their points currency to work harder across their entire journey — especially for hotel bookings, where smart technology can deliver both better prices and seamless redemption experiences.

What are the gaps that you’re seeing between what customers want and what their non-hotel loyalty programs (such as an airline, rail operator, or bank/financial institution) are currently providing?

When it comes to accommodation, travelers want three things: choice, personalization, and the best available price — delivered with pricing transparency. But most non-hotel loyalty programs still fall short. The same hotels appear across multiple programs, regardless of member tier or travel pattern, which erodes any sense of exclusivity or brand identity.

For frequent travelers, particularly business and SME customers, this lack of depth and personalization is frustrating. They want reliable global coverage and visible loyalty recognition when they check in, not a generic experience that breaks the connection with their airline or financial brand.

Arbitrip uses AI to understand traveler behavior, destination patterns, and trip purpose, whether business or leisure, to serve personalized hotel recommendations and dynamic perks. We also negotiate and embed rate benefits tied to the traveler’s loyalty tier, so the value they expect in the air continues when they’re on the ground.

Walk me through the scenario of what consumers would typically see if they are prompted to book accommodations through their non-hotel loyalty provider today. What are some ways that experience can be improved and streamlined to be more personalized for the consumer?

Most travelers who click to book a hotel through an airline or bank loyalty site are taken to an external booking engine that feels detached from the brand. They see standard listings and unclear point conversions. As a result, they don’t perceive any advantage to booking inside the loyalty program’s platform, no clear savings, and no unique value. So it’s not surprising they churn.

The experience is purely transactional, and that’s exactly what needs to change. Programs can fix this by using traveler data to make the process feel relevant and rewarding. Show hotels that align with past preferences. Be transparent about point value. Offer small but meaningful perks like breakfast or late checkout. And time offers to coincide with upcoming trips or favorite destinations.

Loyalty members don’t just want to book through a brand; they want to feel known by it.

To improve and personalize this experience, programs should:

• Offer immediate, tangible value, independent of points redemption, so the traveler perceives a clear, unique advantage from booking inside the loyalty platform.
• Use traveler data (past trips, preferences, spend patterns) to show relevant hotels and tailored offers.
• Add clear value and perks, such as upgrades, breakfast, or late checkout, that make redemption feel rewarding.
• Display transparent point value and let members choose between points, cash, or mixed payments.
• Send contextual offers tied to upcoming trips or locations the traveler frequently visits.

If these pain points for their customers are solved on the front end, what’s the potential impact for a loyalty provider?

When travelers experience a seamless, relevant, and rewarding hotel journey, loyalty deepens. They stay inside the ecosystem, not just to earn or redeem points, but because it feels easier, smarter, and more personal.

For providers, that’s where the real impact lies: stronger retention, more frequent engagement, and a higher share of wallet. The front-end experience becomes a long-term value driver that pays off across the entire customer lifecycle.

What are the challenges loyalty providers face in integrating more personalized accommodations offerings on the back end? In other words, why aren’t they doing it already?

The intent is there, but the infrastructure isn’t. Most loyalty systems were never built for dynamic hotel content or traveler-level personalization. Hotel supply is fragmented, data is siloed, and operational complexity is high.

That’s why many programs choose to outsource, but outsourcing limits control over experience and recognition. 

Arbitrip addresses this by integrating directly into loyalty systems with unified content and ready-made personalization capabilities, helping programs upgrade without starting from scratch.

What are the stakes of getting it right?

The loyalty industry is at a turning point. Programs that get this right with connected, personalized experiences will evolve into full travel ecosystems. Those that don’t risk becoming irrelevant in a world where points no longer drive true loyalty.

Travelers now choose based on attractiveness, ease, relevance, and recognition. The stakes are simple: either own the end-to-end relationship or watch someone else do it.

To learn more about Arbitrip, visit arbitrip.com

This content was created collaboratively by Arbitrip and Skift’s branded content studio, SkiftX.