Hilton revamps Honors with Amazon incentive

HILTON HONORS HAS LOST an ‘H’ but added ‘Shop with points at Amazon’ with its rebranded loyalty programme which now spans 60 million members globally.

Members can use points plus cash for stays from April which, together with the Amazon tie-up, is useful for those who don’t have enough points to redeem for stays. From March, top tier Diamond members can apply for a ‘one time, one year extension’ to their status. Other initiatives include free wifi for members, provided they booked directly.

Mark Nogal, Global head of Curio – A Collection by Hilton and Tapestry Collection by Hilton, said it plans to open 17 Curio hotels this year with 80 in the pipeline. Tapestry (three to four-star) became the operator’s 14th brand when it launched in January.

“Curio is among our fastest growing brands,” he said. “We’re still waiting to get the hard date for Dubai but we’re thinking 18-24 months – it is a complex project. Ultimately we believe Tapestry will go international. Tru by Hilton is also going gang-busters – at some point, it may come to the Middle East. We’re set on organic growth.” Turn to page 19 to read Al Rayyan Hotel Doha review