A new loyalty programme for independent and mid-sized chain hotels in Europe has launched this month.

Developed by the family behind Spanish chain Catalonia Hotels, the Wanup programme offers “immediate rewards” for stays at 300 small and medium-sized hotels in 15 countries.

The programme offers special rates for online bookings, cash back – known as Wanup Winnings – and benefits such as priority check-in and free wifi. It has been rolled out in all Catalonia hotels across Spain and the Caribbean, and a number of boutique hotels such as the The Lambert in Oxford and Agriturismo La Badessa in Puglia.

Wanup founder Guillermo Vallet Millet says: “The difference between us and many loyalty programmes is that they only focus on frequent travellers. We do too, but we also try to offer immediate rewards, such as cash back, for less frequent travellers who aren’t represented by the big chains.”

“Guests get to decide when they get to use their cash back, so you can accumulate it and use it for longer, leisure stays as well as business trips.”

Membership status and key benefits as follows:

“Great” “Circle” “Star” “Top”
Nights booked 1-7 8-34 35-49 Over 50
Wanup Winnings 3% 4% 5% 6%
Food and beverage discounts 10% 15% 20% 30%

All “Great” and “Circle” members are eligible for free wifi, priority check-in and late check-out.”Star” and “Top” members can avail of free breakfast, parking, and room upgrades, based on availability.

To redeem the full amount of cash back, stays must be booked through the online site. .

Brand director at Wanup Natalie Battle says: “We accept a diverse range of hotels from a two to five star luxury boutique, none of those hotels can join the alliance unless they’ve been vetted with top online guest reviews and customer service.”

The programme is set to expand into Eastern Europe, Russia and Latin America next year, with plans to be in 7,000 hotels globally by 2019.

wanup.com