The idea is simple. Give most of your business to a group and it will reward you with discounts and preferential treatment. InterContinental Hotels now plans to issue loyalty cards for consumers in China. But this is not just a straighforward loyalty card.

The IHG’s Priority Club Rewards is a co-branded Visa credit card which will be issued by Shanghai Pudong Development Bank’s credit card center in partnership with Citibank.

The theory is still simple. The credit card will allow users to earn points for everyday spending and double points on spending in IHG hotels worldwide. The points can be redeemed at hotels, airlines.

What is never quite clear is whether it is worth the bother.

For the frequent traveler and entertainer a case can be made. But it is quite possible to end up with a range of loyalty cards and the return is often not quite worth the bother for it stops you shopping around for the best bargain.

Many savvy travelers have now stopped using loyalty cards altogether and just buy on price. It will be interesting to see how successful this new joint IHG/Visa card will be. (The writer may be a tad biased. He still has a loyalty card from Ansett Airlines with stacks of points but no aircraft to fly on. And he has a lifetime membership of the Pan Am Clipper Club which cost serious money and is now not worth the plastic it was printed on.)
Source: Forbes

Wilburt Chang, Chairman & CEO of Howard Johnson International (China) has been named ‘One of the Top 10 personalities of China’s Hospitality Industry 2006′. (Pictured on the left receiving the award).

The event was sponsored by Hotel Modernization Magazine, China Tourism Association and the Tourism Commitees of Beijing, Shanghai and Zhejiang.

Mr Chang said, ‘The key to success is our strong philosophy, that is, to localize the international experience and to put our feet into partners’ and customers’ shoes so as to gain the win-win situation.’

Howard Johnson currently operates 13 four- and five-star hotels in China with plans to run 55 hotels by 2008.
Source: PR Howard Johnson

Jinling Hotel was ranked No.48 at the 2006 China Business Technology Top 100 awards. The awards focused on how Chinese companies use technology in their businesses and they covered more than 6,000 corporations across 26 industries.

Only one of the two corporations from the hospitality industry to be included in the awards, Jinling uses high-tech systems in hotel service and management, such as the CSR (central reservation system). The hotel group currently manages over 40 hotels and resorts across China. (Pictured is the Jinling Hotel Nanjing).
Source: PR Jinling Hotels & Resorts

Grant Gaskin has been appointed as the new Managing Director of five-star Radisson Plaza Xing Guo in Shanghai. He has 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, and prior to moving to Shanghai, he worked with the Pan Pacific Group in properties throughout Asia.

The hotel’s health club was recently nominated for the Golden Rose award in the Carlson Hotels Award. (Pictured is MD Gaskin and health club Manager Jason Huang). The Radisson Plaza is owned by Carlson Hotels Worldwide.
Source: PR Radisson Plaza Xing Guo Shanghai