2012 PRO Award Finalist: Upshot for Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide strives to be the first choice (if not the only choice) when owners take steps to expand their property portfolio. To establish that amount of valued advocacy, Hilton and agency Upshot created Owner’s Access to exceed owners’ highest expectations.
The exclusive club was designed to recognize majority investors in Hilton’s portfolio of hotel brands with personalized service, priority benefits and around-the-clock concierge assistance. Members would get access to special travel rates for both business and pleasure. All reservations made by this target would be given elite Diamond HHonors status to guarantee top-tier experiences and priority access. And only the best trained concierge staff would work with them.
Owners Access was first introduced to a select group of priority owners to help tweak and refine the benefits. After the review and finalization of club components, senior leadership delivered a video to publicize the global launch. The announcement highlighted what to look forward to and when owners should expect to receive a personalized kit. Following the video, Hilton sent follow-up communication to inform owners about the program and generate excitement.
To surprise and delight owners, the welcome kit was delivered in a suitcase, in one of three languages (English, Japanese and Mandarin). Upon opening the box, owners were greeted with a quote from Conrad Hilton: “Successful People Keep Moving.” Inside, the theme continued with travel accessories, a message from CEO Chris Nassetta and a personalized Owners Access Club card and booklet.
The launch was accompanied by a dedicated website, OwnersAccess.com, providing access to online destinations and everything they would need to make the most of their membership from anywhere in the world. Owners could also access concierge bios.
Bimonthly emails targeted all club members in each region of the world and focused on general awareness and new club benefits. Occasional electronic notecards reminded members that the concierges could make their lives easier at any time.
A bonus gift of 25,000 HHonors points celebrated the achievement of majority owners and fostered a sense of gratitude from Hilton. It also continued the flow of communication to drive inquiries and share owner benefits and details.
Members received new club cards packaged in the Owners Access storybook. The book remarketed the key benefits of the club, shared stories about the concierges’ range of support and offered a complimentary service to further engage members.
Since its inception in June 2011, Hilton Worldwide has welcomed over 2,500 members into the invitation-only owners club. Concierge service has facilitated nearly 10,000 unique owner requests, from a simple trip to the dry cleaner to exotic global travel. Members have taken 6,000 trips and stayed 12,300 nights over a nine-month period, resulting in a 70% increase in utilization.
