For me, one of the biggest drawbacks of hotel loyalty programs is that they leave out many unique independent hotels. In fact, some of my most spectacular stays didn’t offer a way to reward guests. Enter: Journey, a new travel app that hopes to change this with a loyalty program exclusively for boutique hotels.
Here’s what we know so far about the recently launched app and travel platform called Journey.
What Journey offers
Journey partners with a curated network of roughly 1,500 independent hotels and private rental homes, with more than 1,500 in the process of being added in the coming weeks. These include some stunning properties, from boutique hotels and ski chalets to treehouse resorts and floating homes.
The goal? To let members earn and redeem points on “stays with soul,” rather than the cookie-cutter properties that make up the bulk of other, more mainstream hotel loyalty programs. Journey’s current offerings include Onera Wimberley’s treetop villas near Austin, Nihi hotels in Indonesia and Black Forty Glamping in Meaford, Ontario.
Although the Journey app seems to be aimed at luxury travelers, its properties run the gamut in terms of price point. You’ll find options that cost $300 a night, as well as those priced at $3,000 a night.
"For too long, loyalty in travel has meant choosing between points and personality — between earning rewards and staying somewhere that actually inspires you," said John Sutton, founder and CEO of Journey. "We built Journey to close that gap. We've curated the first platform of truly independent hotels and private rentals, enabling travelers to earn meaningful rewards without sacrificing character, to use their points (and even their pending points) in real time for unforgettable experiences."
Based on the website, most of Journey’s current properties seem to be concentrated in North America, but this network will presumably grow with time.
We noticed that there may be some overlap with other loyalty programs. For example, one of Journey’s alliance properties, Dunton Hot Springs in Colorado, is a Mr & Mrs Smith property bookable through World of Hyatt.
Beyond providing unforgettable stays, Journey hopes to elevate guests’ experiences with personalized recommendations. According to the site, Journey AI analyzes guest behavior to create a profile — and refine it with each stay — to “predict what a guest needs before they ask.” So, in theory, a hotel could know before you arrive that you prefer a martini instead of Champagne as a welcome drink, for example.
The idea is that the longer you’re a Journey member, the better the app and its partner properties will get to know your individual travel style.
How the Journey loyalty program works
The process of joining Journey seems a bit daunting, as the website encourages guests to “apply” and “request an invitation.” But all I had to do was enter a few basic details like my name, birthdate and phone number. Then, I had the option to fill in my Instagram handle (to potentially get special offers and rewards) and mention my favorite hotels (for Journey to consider adding to its alliance). Once I completed those steps, voila! I was a member.
The app also asked for my other phone numbers and email addresses so it could search for past stays with alliance properties. I didn’t have any, but according to a Journey representative, "Journey may grant you points for that past stay depending on what campaigns our partners may have in place and how recent the stay was." So, retroactive points are never guaranteed, but still, this is a nice feature that most loyalty programs don’t offer.
Once logged into my account, I could explore properties by type — from castles to yurts — and see special bonus point offers.
You can join Journey for free here.
Although Journey is fully up and running, details on how the loyalty program works are a little thin. Here’s what we know so far:
- Basic members earn 5 points per dollar spent on stays booked directly with Journey alliance properties.
- Members can pool points or transfer points to others with no fees, minimums or maximums.
- To guard against devaluations, Journey guarantees “the value of points at redemption will never be below $0.01 USD.”
Another interesting feature is the ability to use pending points during a stay.
"Depending on your status level with Journey, you can use 50-100% of your pending points for on-stay purchases," Journey claims.
For example, let's say you booked a $1,000 stay, which would earn you 5,000 points after you checked out. As a basic member, you could redeem up to 50% of those points (or 2,500 points) for food, drinks or other on-site purchases during your stay, before the points even land in your account.
There are four elite tiers you can unlock by earning a set number of points:
- Nomad: 18,000 points
- Navigator: 50,000 points
- Ambassador: 125,000 points
- Legend: 250,000 points
- Icon: invite-only
Perks for earning status include waived resort fees, waived pet fees, suite upgrades and flexible check-in and checkout times.
Bottom line
The gap between points and personality has narrowed in recent years, with major points programs incorporating more original stays like glamping and programs like One Key offering a wider range of independent hotels. However, Journey is the first program to include only boutique properties.
The newest loyalty program on the hotel scene is still getting its legs under it, but it seems like a promising addition to the world of points and miles, especially for luxury travelers seeking unforgettable stays.
