Stash Hotel Rewards
TypePrivate
Industry
Founded2010
Headquarters
Palo Alto, CA
,
U.S.
Area served
North America
Key people
Jeff Low (Founder & CEO)
ProductsLoyalty program for independent hotels
Websitewww.stashrewards.com

Stash Hotel Rewards is an American company that produces a loyalty rewards program for a network of nearly 200 independent hotels in the United States, Panama, and the Caribbean. The membership is free to join, and guests are given 5 points for every dollar spent at hotels in the network.[1][2][3] It is the largest points-based loyalty reward program for independent hotels in North America.[4] The company was founded in 2010 and is based in Palo Alto, California.[5][6]

History

The company was founded in May 2010 in Palo Alto, California by former Expedia executive, Jeff Low (who also serves as the company's CEO).[5][7] Low had previously been responsible for the creation of Expedia's "Thank You" rewards program.[8] At its outset, Stash had enlisted 65 hotels (including boutiques, spas, and resorts) in 50 cities mostly across the United States. By August, those numbers had increased to 79 hotels in 63 cities including Boston, San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and others.[5][9] In 2011, the network included 150 properties, including one in the United States Virgin Islands.[10]

In early 2014, Stash became the largest loyalty reward program for independent hotels in North America.[4] It also began fostering a larger presence in the Caribbean.[11] In January 2014, a study conducted by researchers from Cornell University, Ithaca College, and Michigan State University showed that hoteliers who had enrolled in the Stash Hotel Rewards program saw an average increase of incremental revenue between $400,000 and $780,000 annually.[4][12]

In 2015, Stash introduced the Stash Hotel Rewards Visa Card which gives cardholders points for staying at any hotel whether it's in the Stash network or not.[13] By 2016, the company's network included over 160 properties in the United States, Panama, and the Caribbean.[1]

Operation

Stash Hotel Rewards' main product offering is a loyalty reward program for a network of nearly 200 independent hotels in the United States (including Hawaii and Puerto Rico), Canada, Mexico, Panama, and the Caribbean. It is free to sign up for the program, and guests who enroll are awarded 5 points for every dollar spent at in-network hotels. Members earn 3 points per dollar at highly-rated independent hotels that have been designated “Stash Approved” when booked on the Stash website.  Those points can then be redeemed for a free stay at any in-network hotel, and there are no blackout or expiration dates.[1][2][3] Stash differs from most traditional loyalty programs in that it allows individual properties to set the number of points required to redeem a free night.[10] For instance, a hotel in-season may increase the number of points required to redeem a free stay while an out-of-season hotel may decrease the number.[5]

In 2015, Stash launched the Stash Hotel Rewards Visa Card. The card was developed in association with Synchrony Financial.[13] In May 2018, Stash filed a lawsuit against Synchrony in California for breach of contract and fraudulent misrepresentation.[14] The card was discontinued in 2018.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Rosenbloom, Stephanie (29 March 2016). "Travel Rewards Programs You May Not Know About — but Should". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  2. 1 2 Steele, Jason (22 January 2016). "3 Independent Hotel Loyalty Programs Worth Knowing". ThePointsGuy.com. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  3. 1 2 Greenberg, Peter (19 May 2016). "Travel Tip: Loyalty Programs for Frequent Travelers". PeterGreenberg.com. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "Stash Hotel Rewards Pay Off for Hoteliers". Hotel News Resource. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Olson, Elizabeth (2 August 2010). "Independent Hotels Get a Rewards Program". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  6. ↑ Rizzo, Olivia (11 July 2016). "Staying Independent in the Age of Soft Brands". Lodging Magazine. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  7. ↑ Clausing, Jeri (9 August 2010). "Jeff Low, Stash Hotel Rewards". Travel Weekly. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  8. ↑ May, Kevin (May 24, 2010). "Stash Hotel Rewards: another travel project from Expedia alums". Phocuswire.
  9. ↑ Wright, Douglas (21 May 2010). "Boutique Hotels Join Together in New Loyalty 'Stash Hotel Rewards'". AOL.
  10. 1 2 Higgins, Michelle (1 June 2011). "Expanding Hotel Loyalty Rewards". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  11. ↑ Schaal, Dennis (26 March 2014). "Stash Hotel Rewards Sees Opportunity for Independents in Loyalty Program Devaluations". Skift. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  12. ↑ Weed, Julie (24 March 2014). "Loyalty Programs for One-of-a-Kind Hotels". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  13. 1 2 Petri, Alexandra E. (8 October 2015). "Stash Rewards' New Credit Card Wants to Disrupt Hotel Loyalty". Skift. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  14. ↑ "Revpar Collective Inc. Dba Stash Hotel Rewards Vs. Synchrony Financial Et Al". UniCourt. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
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