Hard Rock International debuts global rollout of new loyalty platform

Hard Rock International's new loyalty program has a star-studded kickoff to its global rollout.

The Unity by Hard Rock loyalty program now allows members to earn rewards at more than 200 hotels, casinos, cafes and Rock Shops associated with the Hard Rock brand worldwide. Hard Rock's accompanying "Come Together" launch campaign features stars like soccer legend Lionel Messi and Grammy Award-winning musical powerhouses like John Legend and Shakira, plus a rendition of The Beatles' "Come Together" recorded by artist Noah Kahan.

"With hospitality offerings that encompass hotels, casinos, Cafes, retail outlets and more, Hard Rock is uniquely positioned to launch this one-of-a-kind loyalty program that rewards our guests' passions for entertainment, travel, gaming and food," Keith Sheldon, president of entertainment and brand management at Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming, said in a statement.

There is a wide array of benefits and points earning potential to Unity, which rolled out across select properties in recent months. Members can earn and redeem Unity points toward free hotel nights, dining experiences, merchandise and more offerings in the Hard Rock network.

Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International and CEO of Seminole Gaming, told TPG ahead of the launch that the global loyalty program — which replaces prior limited offerings like Hard Rock Rewards, Seminole Wild Card and Wild Card Rewards — has been in the works for about a decade.

"The challenge was that so many of our competitors in this space own 100% of their business, and it's easy [for them] to create a mandate that we're going to have a centralized customer rewards redemption program. But in our case, [it's] a brand that's more than 50 years old and [involves] partnerships and relationships in 70 countries around the world," he said. "Some are in hotels, some are in restaurants, some are in retail or online, some in sports betting, some in gaming, some in regional casinos and some in big, huge integrated resorts. It just took, candidly, some time for everyone and the technology platform to come together."

How Unity by Hard Rock works

Unity by Hard Rock has four membership tiers: Star, Legend, Icon and the invite-only X status. Unity's Star tier is achieved by having anywhere from 0 to 3,999 Unity Tier Credits, while Legend is for those with 4,000 to 14,999 Tier Credits. Icon is for those with 15,000 or more Unity Tier Credits.

Hotel benefits like early check-in, late checkout, welcome amenities and room upgrades are offered to those at Icon and X status. Interestingly, a nightly room refresh is offered as a membership benefit only to those with X status. A full list of tier benefits can be found here.

Members move up the membership tier ranks by earning Unity points. Members earn 3 Unity points based on every dollar spent at participating Hard Rock Cafes, non-casino hotels and Rock Shops. Members earn 1 Unity point for every non-gaming dollar spent at participating casinos, as well as additional Unity points on gaming in participating casinos.

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Unity points have a set value of $1, equal to 100 points. Unity points are redeemed like regular dollars for spending at participating Hard Rock restaurants, bars, hotels, lounges and stores.

You can join the program by signing up at a physical Hard Rock location or online here.

The perks of Unity by Hard Rock

Unity by Hard Rock has several benefits, including travel discounts and giveaways and reciprocal loyalty status with the casino loyalty clubs of Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises.

Hard Rock Hotels offers member-only rates to Unity members, and various booking pages, including one for the Hard Rock Hotel New York, indicate member rates are as much as 10% below the best available rates.

Hard Rock is also offering Unity members early access to a "Summer Together" promotion, with up to 30% off participating hotel stays of two nights or more. The promotion also includes daily breakfast for two. Members have presale access between May 15 and 31, ahead of the main sale going live on May 31.

There are also member-only rates at Hard Rock Casinos and Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos.

While there doesn't appear to be a fixed discount at casinos, member rates Tuesday night at the Mirage Las Vegas, which Hard Rock acquired early last year, were typically just under $20 below the best available rates across a small number of room types. Even better rates, however, were offered to veterans and active members of the U.S. military, senior citizens, Nevada residents and AAA members across all room types.

Unity members will get a free dessert at Hard Rock Cafes each year on their birthday, while Icon and X members will have access to premiere restaurant seating. X members can enjoy complimentary access to live music events at participating Hard Rock Cafe locations.

Unity members can also earn Unity points with virtual goods purchases across online games like Hard Rock Blackjack & Casino and Hard Rock Jackpot Casino, as well as the Hard Rock Adventure app.

Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming also launched a partnership with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises where Unity members can enjoy reciprocal benefits with Royal Caribbean's Club Royale and Celebrity Cruises' Blue Chip Club — casino loyalty programs for both cruise lines — anytime they embark on a cruise.

'Come Together' Experiences promotion

Hard Rock is running two promotional sweepstakes amid the broader Unity "Come Together" campaign. After joining Unity, members can enter to win the following:

• A trip for two to New York City in July to attend one of Noah Kahan's shows at Madison Square Garden. The trip includes a three-night suite stay at Hard Rock Hotel New York, a spending allowance for culinary experiences at the hotel and a $200 Rock Shop gift card. Entries for this contest close May 31.
• An all-inclusive vacation to the Hard Rock Hotel Maldives. The winner and a guest will receive air travel and transportation for their seven-day, six-night stay. Entries for this contest close Aug. 31.

The future of Unity by Hard Rock

Points and miles fans might not like the sound of fixed pricing like Unity's set 100 points per $1 value, but the program's wide array of one-of-a-kind experiences, thanks to the brand's access to leading stars in music and sports, is a compelling offer. Hard Rock International puts on more than 40,000 live music events each year, Allen said.

Further, one can't help but wonder if the program ultimately ends up partnering with one of the hotel conglomerates' loyalty programs like Hilton Honors or World of Hyatt in light of Marriott now partnering with MGM Resorts.

While Allen declined to name names, it certainly sounds like it's a possibility.

"I don't want to single out or lead you in any direction of one particular company, but I can tell you there are three or four of the world's biggest hotel companies that have shown interest in what a relationship could be," Allen said.

"We certainly don't want to mislead anybody," he later added. "We're not at the point of any announcements. But, certainly, it's more than just a few informal meetings."

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