Independent Hoteliers Find New Solutions in Tough Times

PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- It's a tough time for independent hotels.  The anemic recovery may just have stalled. Lenders won't return phone calls.  Competing for frequent travelers has never been tougher, as big brands creep into the independent's backyard with new mass-produced boutiques like Aloft and Indigo.  It's enough to keep an independent hotelier up at night.  And there may be reason for that insomnia.  Hotel broker Atlas Hospitality estimates independents represent 71% of the California hotels in foreclosure.

So what's an independent hotelier to do?  Throw in the towel?  A few have, joining the "boutique collections" of big chains.  Yet far more are sticking it out.  Many of those stalwarts report that new solutions have emerged to help independents fill rooms and compete with the chains.  For Lisa Koester, director of sales and marketing at Napa River Inn, one such solution is Stash Hotel Rewards.  "Stash did something that we've all been talking about, trying to figure out for years.  They connected independent hotels with a points program.  It's genius."

Just 18 months old, Stash has already become the largest independent hotel loyalty program in the United States.  And it's getting bigger.  Fast.  In the past 6 months, 50 more hotels joined the network, with 167 hotels throughout the United States and the Caribbean now participating in the program.  In the last month alone, 18 hotels joined Stash—more than 1 new hotel every 2 days.

What's driving this rapid adoption?  Stash partner hotels report the program increases bookings and guest frequency.  Denihan Hospitality Group, with six of its Affinia hotels in Stash, analyzed the behavior of their repeat guests.  Prior to joining Stash, those guests stayed 2.8 times a year.  After enrolling in Stash, they stayed 3.3.times a year, an increase in frequency of nearly 20%.  "Enrolling guests in Stash can mean the difference between seeing them 3 times a year instead of just twice," said John Moser, Chief Brand & Marketing Officer, Denihan Hospitality Group.

Hoteliers joining Stash also say they find the program's flexibility, low cost, and minimal commitment appealing...and a significant departure from joining a chain.  Brigette Breitenbach, co-owner of Milwaukee's The Iron Horse Hotel, said her hotel was heavily courted by the big brands.  "The overriding issue with the chain programs was cost," said Breitenbach.  "The idea of giving 6-7% on rooms we would have sold anyway didn't make a lot of sense." 

The chain's marketing and operational guidelines were also a concern.  Breitenbach wondered if The Iron Horse Hotel's edgy style—with its motorcycle rentals and special places to hang helmets and leathers—would survive under a chain.  She didn't have those concerns with Stash. "Stash is subtle in its branding," said Breitenbach.  "It's like a seal of approval versus the chain boutique brands which are more overarching, like joining a big conglomerate."

This latest wave of new partners opens the door for Stash members to earn and redeem points in 29 new destinations, including Honolulu, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Houston, Brooklyn, Nashville, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Cleveland, and Newport, RI.  New Stash partners range from Viceroy Miami—a chic high-rise with a Philippe Starck-designed spa, to Hidden Pond—a collection of plush Kennebunkport cottages, to The Strand Hotel—with a glassed-in rooftop terrace and a stunning view of New York's Empire State Building.

New Stash partner hotels include some of the most-loved hotels by travelers, with an extraordinarily high average TripAdvisor recommend rating of 86%.  Many rank #1 in their markets, including Glidden House (Cleveland), Iron Horse Hotel (Milwaukee), Hotel Murano (Tacoma), John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort (Sparks, NV), The Hotel Veritas (Cambridge, MA), Delamar Greenwich Harbor (Greenwich, CT), The Lodge at Woodloch (Hawley, PA), and The Olde Mill Inn (Basking Ridge, NJ).

Travelers can join Stash for free at www.stashrewards.com.  Stash members earn 5 points for each dollar spent on eligible room rates and can redeem them at great independent hotels across North America, including the Caribbean and Hawaii.  Stash points never expire, and  redemption is simple, without blackout dates or category restrictions found in many chain programs.  Stash partner hotels also provide members with exclusive travel deals.

The complete list of recently-added Stash partners includes:

Arbor Inn and Suites, Lubbock, TX
The Beacon South Beach Hotel, Miami Beach, FL
Capitol Hill Suites, Washington, DC
Delamar Greenwich Harbor, Greenwich, CT
Duane Street Hotel, New York, NY
Edgewater South Beach, Miami Beach, FL
Gateway Canyons Resort, Gateway, CO
Glasbern Country Inn, Fogelsville, PA
Glidden House, Cleveland, OH
Hidden Pond, Kennebunkport, ME
Hotel deLuxe, Portland, OR
Hotel Lucia, Portland, OR
Hotel Max, Seattle, WA
Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans, LA
Hotel Murano, Tacoma, WA
Hotel Preston, Nashville, TN
Inn at St. Mary's, South Bend, IN
Inn at the Black Olive, Baltimore, MD
Inn Marin, Novato, CA
Jailhouse Inn, Newport, RI
Jekyll Island Club Hotel, Jekyll Island, GA
John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort, Sparks, NV
Modern B & B, Houston, TX
Moonrise Hotel, St. Louis, MO
Napa River Inn, Napa, CA
NU Hotel, Brooklyn, NY
Old Fort Inn & Resort, Kennebunkport, ME
Park South Hotel, New York, NY
Pequot Hotel, Oak Bluffs, MA
PruneYard Plaza Hotel, Campbell, CA
Royal Sonesta New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
Sugar Bay Resort and Spa, St. Thomas, USVI
The Buccaneer Hotel, St. Croix, USVI
The Chase Park Plaza, St. Louis, MO
The Cottages at Cabot Cove, Kennebunkport, ME
The Hotel Veritas, Cambridge, MA
The Hotel Wilshire, Los Angeles, CA
The Independent, Philadelphia, PA
The Iron Horse Hotel, Milwaukee, WI
The Island Inn at 123 West, Friday Harbor, WA
The Kennebunkport Inn, Kennebunkport, ME
The Lodge at Woodloch, Hawley, PA
The MAve, New York, NY
The Modern Honolulu, Honolulu, HI
The Olde Mill Inn, Basking Ridge, NJ
The Strand Hotel, New York, NY
The Tides Beach Club, Kennebunkport, ME
University Hotel Minneapolis, Minneapolis, MN
Viceroy Miami, Miami, FL
Woodcliff Hotel & Spa, Fairport, NY

Hotels interested in partnering with Stash can contact [email protected]. 

About Stash Hotel Rewards
Stash Hotel Rewards frees travelers from the uninspired offerings of existing hotel reward programs by making it easy to break free from big, bland hotel chains and stay at amazing hotels.  Stash was founded on a belief in the happiness-producing power of traveling to places that convey a unique and interesting story – places with soul. It's a belief that is shared with the independent hoteliers and the independently-minded travelers the company was created to serve.  Launched in May 2010, Stash was founded by a team of travel and e-commerce veterans from Expedia, Amazon, Microsoft, and Zillow. Stash is headquartered in Palo Alto with offices in Seattle and Miami.  Travelers can easily sign up for a free account at www.stashrewards.com.

Press Inquires
Mary Miller
[email protected]
253-970-1204

SOURCE Stash Hotel Rewards