As Hilton frequent guests fume over the loyalty point devaluation starting Jan. 15, 2010 and other business travelers wonder if their chain will follow Hilton, Hotel Check-In checked with executives at some of the other big chains to see what to expect.  Each of the three chains I spoke with distanced themselves from Hilton's strategy. For its part, Hilton says that it hasn't changed point requirements in six years while other chains did.  "We are not making changes that would negatively affect the Marriott Rewards point structure," Bob Behrens, vice president of the Marriott Rewards program, said in an email. "In fact, we are looking for ways to make things more positive for our members next year."  Starwood spokesman Brad Minor told me that Starwood Preferred Guest program will not change in 2010. That means SPG's Free Weekend Night Awards at category 1 hotels will remain at 2,000 points, category 2 hotels will remain at 3,000 points, and so on.  Hilton made "wrong-headed move," IHG executives tell owners  Top executives at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) expressed shock at Hilton Worldwide's changes to its loyalty program during IHG's annual convention last week in Washington D.C. and vowed to keep its loyalty point currency in tact.  During a general session meeting attended by most of IHG's 2,000 franchisees, Eric Pearson - IHG's chief marketing officer for the Americas region - told the audience that they studied Hilton's move to since it could save a hotel operator money. But IHG quickly dismissed the idea because of its potential to anger - and even drive away - some of their most valuable customers at a time when hotels desperately need to retain them.  "That's not a positive reinforcement for your most important person," Pearson told the audience. "Yes, you do free up some cash...But for us, that's the wrong strategy. That's not something we're going to do."  Jim Abrahamson, who runs IHG's Americas unit - the company's largest, echoed Pearson's comments. He told the audience:  "It's like your savings account has been depleted by 20%. I just think it's wrong-minded."  During the convention, Pearson spelled out just how valuable Priority Club Rewards members are to the company, relative to non-members. He said that just an average-level PCR member is twice as profitable as a non-member, and an elite-level member who stays more often is 12 times as profitable than an average member.  "If one platinum-level member leaves us, we'd have to go out and find 12 new customers just to replace that one," he said. "We need to focus on them."  Readers: Are you using your hotel loyalty points more often these days - or less often, since hotel rates have dropped this year due to the recession?  To report corrections and clarifications, contact Reader Editor  . For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to  . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to
Will other hotel chains follow Hilton in devaluing loyalty points next year? - Hotel Check-in: A road warrior's guide to the lodging landscape - USATODAY.com