December 6, 2016: The iconic Asian luxury hotel groups, Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts and Mumbai-based Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, have formed a strategic alliance to broaden their reach and offer more unique experiences to guests across Asia and the world.
The alliance will officially launch in March 2017 with the introduction of the “Warmer Welcomes” programme, which integrates Taj InnerCircle and Shangri-La’s Golden Circle guest loyalty programmes and will provide members reciprocal and seamless benefits at a scale never seen before under a hospitality alliance.
The “Warmer Welcomes” programme will offer Shangri-La and Taj’s combined 6 million loyalty programme members the benefits most important to them. Members will be able to enjoy the perks of their elite status when they stay at any Shangri-La or Taj hotel with top-tier status matching. They can earn points across 200 hotels, 27 countries and 131 destinations. Members of either program will be able to earn award points in their preferred programme while staying with Taj or Shangri-La whether in Mumbai, New Delhi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Paris, London, New York and other key destinations in the world.
Members will be able to convert points to redeem awards between both programmes.
As part of its “Loyalty Is” fifth anniversary celebration this year, Shangri-La’s Golden Circle has rolled out an array of new member benefits and partnerships, the most recent being Infinite Journeys with Singapore Airlines. In addition, Golden Circle has recently introduced programmes such as Event Planner Rewards and The Table by Golden Circle, Shangri-La’s first global dining loyalty programme.
Taj relaunched InnerCircle in 2015 with augmented features and enhancements, applicable globally across all hotels. The revamped programme has no blackout dates, an easy redemption process with myriad opportunities ranging from accommodation, restaurants and spas, and no expiry of points for active members. Most recently, Taj InnerCircle also redesigned its Epicure programme, renewed with offers that extend globally. It now gives its patrons an all-encompassing experience of Dine, Drink, Stay, Spa and Redeem.
