Small Luxury Hotels (SLH) has announced some changes to its Invited loyalty program. The changes themselves are quite small and mostly impact folk on the lower rungs of the program.
The changes coming into effect on 10 September 2019 are:
- The entry Level Tier is changing names
- Qualification Requirements for each tier will move to a nights basis
- Removal of the Breakfast Benefit for base-level members
- Adjustment of the late checkout time from 3 PM to 2 PM
While SLH also partners with World of Hyatt, these changes do not impact on World of Hyatt members booking through Hyatt channels. They only affect SLH Invited members booking through SLH channels.
Invited – The Changes in Detail
Intrigued – the new Entry Level
The base level of the program is changing names from ‘Invited’ to ‘Intrigued’. As a result, the name Invited will now refer to the program, and not to any particular level.
In reality, this is largely a cosmetic change to the program.
Changes to Tier Qualification Structure
Up until now, SLH has determined which tier you are in based on the number of stays that you make. As of 10 September, this will change to a night based qualification. The following tables show these changes
| Level | Current Requirements | New Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Invited / Intrigued | 0 stays | 0 – 3 nights |
| Inspired | 1 – 5 stays | 4 – 12 nights |
| Indulged | 6+ stays | 13+ nights |
This is a change that will affect people in different ways. For the most part, getting off the base level is a little harder. Inspired could be achieved in a single one night stay. Now, you will need to stay at least 4 nights before getting bumped up a level.
If you are aiming for the Indulged level, the change will be positive or negative depending on your stay patterns. If you tend to have short stays, it will be more difficult. On the other hand, if you have longer stays, it will be easier to achieve.
Changes To Tier Benefits
There are two changes being made to the tier benefits of the program. Unfortunately, both of these are negative changes. Having said that, they may not affect all members.
Firstly, in the previous iteration of the program, you could receive a complimentary breakfast just for signing up. Under the new rules, you need to be at Inspired status or above in order to receive breakfast. As a result, you will need to stay at least 4 nights before you receive this benefit.
Finally, there is an adjustment being made to the late check-out benefit. While this remains available to all members, it will only be available until 2 PM, rather than 3 PM. In addition, it will remain subject to availability.
The Hyatt Option
In addition to their own loyalty program, SLH also partners with the World Of Hyatt program. On the points side, this partnership allows World of Hyatt members to earn and redeem points for stays at SLH properties.
Outside points, World of Hyatt members also receive a range of benefits at SLH properties. One of the benefits available to all World of Hyatt members is continental breakfast. It seems slightly odd that they would grant this to base World of Hyatt members, and not base SLH Invited members.
Final Words
I think overall, these are slightly negative changes – and it seems that it was likely driven by the requirements of the hotels. Still, it is a worthwhile program if you stay in the hotels that it represents.