APAC Hotel Loyalty

The subscription economy is experiencing unprecedented growth, expanding over 400% in the past decade, three times faster than the S&P 500, with projections to reach $2 trillion by 2034. Yet despite this explosive growth, travel subscriptions remain notably underrepresented in the market. Accor Group is changing that narrative with a comprehensive evolution of their subscription offering, demonstrating how paid memberships can transform casual travellers into passionate brand advocates.

Accor has consistently demonstrated that experiences sit at the heart of meaningful customer relationships. From hospitality suites at the French Tennis Open to partnerships with Paris Saint-Germain and the Accor Stadium in Sydney, the company has observed that their most highly engaged members consistently gravitate toward experiential offerings. This insight has shaped their approach to subscription loyalty, moving beyond traditional points and perks to deliver genuine value that resonates across generations and geographies. The Accor Plus subscription program boasts an impressive 30-year history, beginning as a pioneering concept in Australia designed to fill hotel restaurants. What started as a food and beverage program has evolved into a comprehensive travel subscription serving 450,000 members across Asia Pacific. These subscribers represent the epitome of engaged customers, visiting properties five times more frequently than non-members and spending 2.3 times more per visit.

This longevity positions Accor uniquely in the subscription landscape. While most consumers now juggle multiple subscriptions for music, streaming, cloud storage, and fitness services, Accor was innovating in subscription models decades before the current boom. This first-mover advantage, combined with extensive customer insights, has enabled the company to refine their offering based on real-world performance data spanning generations of travellers. The relaunch of Accor’s subscription portfolio under the All Accor Plus umbrella represents 18 months of intensive customer research across 11 markets. The company employed both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, engaging behavioural scientists to understand not merely what members say, but what they expect and how they actually behave, examining preferences, motivations, and pain points in depth.

This research revealed critical generational differences that inform marketing strategy. For instance, 50% of Gen Z and millennial members value exclusive experiences as much as discounts, compared to just 27% of baby boomers, who remain primarily discount-focused. These insights enable Accor to tailor messaging by generation while maintaining product consistency. The research also uncovered fascinating behavioural patterns around dining versus accommodation. While dining drives approximately two-thirds of membership renewals, hotel stays account for over one-third of all loyalty program activity. This dual-value proposition creates multiple engagement touchpoints and ensures members can justify their subscription investment through their preferred behaviour pattern.

The All Accor Plus portfolio now features three distinct products designed to meet varied traveller needs. All Accor Plus Ibis targets budget-conscious travellers seeking value in economy accommodations. All Accor Plus Voyager delivers year-round savings and rational benefits for practical-minded members. All Accor Plus Explorer represents the premium offering, providing the richest and highest-value benefits for frequent travellers. The Explorer product, priced at €215 annually, exemplifies the clarity and transparency that subscription members demand. Benefits include two complimentary nights annually, guaranteed savings on both dining and accommodation, automatic Gold elite status with associated perks like upgrades and flexible check-in and check-out times, and access to exclusive experiences and a community of like-minded travellers.

One of the most compelling aspects of subscription loyalty lies in the psychology of payback. When customers invest upfront in a membership, they actively seek to justify that investment through usage. This creates a fundamentally different relationship compared to free loyalty programs. Members calculate their savings, whether through 15% dining discounts at local properties or accommodation savings while traveling, and quickly determine whether they’ve achieved payback. This payback mentality transforms satisfied customers into enthusiastic advocates. Members who recognize value in their subscription become the strongest promoters within their personal networks, explaining benefits and encouraging friends and family to join. This word-of-mouth advocacy proves particularly powerful because subscribers have financial skin in the game and need to validate their purchasing decision.

Subscription programs create unique advocacy opportunities that free programs cannot replicate. When members use their benefits in group settings, sharing dining discounts with family or friends, or explaining accommodation savings while traveling together, they become heroes within their social circles. This bragging rights phenomenon generates organic marketing that money cannot buy. The advocacy effect amplifies further through exclusive experiences available only to All Accor Plus members. These events create communities of like-minded individuals who share enthusiasm for travel, dining, and hospitality. Members discuss experiences among themselves, generating conversation and interest that naturally attracts new subscribers who want access to the same exclusive opportunities.

The subscription offering exists within Accor’s broader loyalty ecosystem, which now encompasses over 100 million members worldwide. This remarkable milestone represents membership growth at twice the previous year’s pace, with no signs of the growth curve flattening. The company operates across 45 brands in 110 countries with 5,700 properties, ranging from economy to luxury and catering to all travel needs. This extensive network provides the essential foundation for effective subscription loyalty. The diversity of brands enables cross-fertilization, with members increasingly utilizing multiple brands within the portfolio. This ecosystem approach ensures that whether members prioritize dining or accommodation, budget or luxury experiences, domestic or international travel, they find relevant value within the All Accor Plus framework.

Despite the overall subscription economy’s explosive growth, travel subscriptions remain underdeveloped relative to other sectors. However, recent research from Travelport indicates that 35% of frequent travellers express interest in purchasing travel memberships, seeking certainty of value, recognition, and exclusivity, precisely the attributes that Accor Plus delivers. This market opportunity, combined with Accor’s three decades of subscription expertise and extensive customer research, positions the company to lead the travel subscription category. The relaunch emphasizes simplicity, transparency, and flexibility, addressing the key barriers that have historically limited travel subscription adoption.

Accor’s subscription evolution offers several lessons for loyalty marketers across industries. Deep research matters, as spending 18 months understanding customer behaviour, preferences, and pain points across multiple markets ensures product-market fit and reduces launch risk. Generational differences are real, and tailoring messaging to emphasize experiences for younger members and savings for older members increases relevance without requiring different product structures. Payback psychology is powerful, and enabling members to easily calculate their return on investment transforms satisfaction into advocacy. Community creates stickiness, as exclusive experiences and access to like-minded individuals generate emotional connections that transcend transactional benefits. Multiple value propositions expand appeal, with both dining and accommodation benefits ensuring different member segments find personal relevance in the subscription.

The transformation of Accor’s subscription offering demonstrates the evolution of loyalty from simple transactional rewards to comprehensive value ecosystems that address diverse customer needs across multiple touchpoints. By combining guaranteed savings, elite recognition, exclusive experiences, and community access, Accor Plus creates a value proposition that resonates emotionally while delivering clear financial benefits. The research-driven approach ensures that product features align with actual customer behaviour rather than assumptions about what members might want. The focus on payback psychology acknowledges that subscription members think differently than free program participants, actively calculating value and seeking validation for their upfront investment.

As the subscription economy continues its remarkable expansion, Accor Group demonstrates how heritage brands can leverage decades of customer relationships and operational expertise to deliver subscription experiences that genuinely supercharge loyalty, transforming occasional guests into devoted advocates who enthusiastically share their membership benefits with their entire social network. The company’s ability to maintain and grow a subscription base over 30 years while continuously evolving the value proposition speaks to the fundamental strength of the model and the quality of execution. With travel subscriptions poised for growth and 35% of frequent travellers expressing interest in such programs, Accor’s comprehensive approach positions the company to capture significant market share in this emerging category while deepening relationships with their most valuable customers.