Cultivating a holistic guest experience is one of the top priorities for Laurie Blair. “We’ve seen a change in how people around the world feel about experiences and connecting with those they care about, especially since Covid-19,” said the vice president of global marketing at the helm of one of the world’s leading hospitality companies. “All of the data suggests that investing in experiences is here to stay and the way people prioritise travel will not stop any time soon.”
Laurie joined Hyatt just over a year ago and is already making strides, having overseen the recent evolution of the World of Hyatt programme, which she sees as her proudest moment so far. “Care is at the heart of World of Hyatt, and care starts with listening,” she explains. This is why the programme added more rewards, milestones, choice and opportunities for loyal members at the end of last year.
When discussing the reimagined loyalty programme, which has over 46 million members, Laurie talks about how World of Hyatt offers benefits that guests find relevant and meaningful. “For the first time, members will be able to gift a Globalist stay – Hyatt’s top tier level of membership – to someone who is important to them,” she adds.
It is one of the reasons World of Hyatt has quadrupled its membership over the past five years and continues to be recognised across the industry as one of the best hotel loyalty programmes.
“World of Hyatt is transformative. We can truly care for every single person that stays with us and help travellers make meaningful connections – whether that is a family holiday, reunion, getaway with a partner, a girls’ trip or solo travel; World of Hyatt can help open the door to experiencing a new culture and create a sense of care while you travel,” Laurie shares.
With over 20 years in marketing, Laurie is an expert in developing breakthrough campaigns, having launched the myWalgreens loyalty platform which garnered record sign-ups in first two months of launch. Laurie is a rabid learner and runs towards new challenges, bringing her experience at the pharmaceutical retailer to the world of hospitality. Laurie explains, “Walgreens taught me the importance of bringing people together to focus on a common goal, how to leverage loyalty and data to inform marketing, and the significance of experience – beyond a tangible product you can use and buy.”
Now, Laurie gets to pair what she loves with what she does for work – travel. “The idea that I could work on something I personally love and am passionate about was really a no brainer,” she said.
With more than 1,300 hotels across 76 countries, Hyatt continues to grow its brand presence in destinations where its members want to travel. The demand for luxury and resort accommodations, that offer top-tier quality, personalised experiences and bespoke services, is increasing and Hyatt’s growth strategy is purposefully ambitious to meet this demand. In Europe, Africa and the Middle East, for example, Hyatt is slated to open 70 hotels in the next five years, with more than half in the luxury market.
We sat down with Laurie to find out a little more about her day-to-day job, how Hyatt is adapting alongside the increase in demand for wellbeing experiences and and where she travels to find the best food, history and shopping.
What made you want to work in hospitality, specifically at Hyatt?
When you get the opportunity to pair what you love with what you do for work, it’s kind of the best-case scenario. Plus, Hyatt has been a company that has continuously been recognised for their culture and a brand I have always followed closely. I sensed Hyatt’s purpose of care from the minute I walked into the building.
What does your day-to-day job entail?
No day is ever truly the same. I wear many hats in my job – everything from thinking about brand partnerships and activations to strategically evolving our loyalty programme offering and overhauling our marketing tech stack. The one common denominator through it all is that I’m thinking of the holistic guest experience and every touch point throughout that journey, always putting people first.
Guests are becoming increasingly savvy about loyalty programmes. What do the changes to World of Hyatt mean for your guests?
In order for World of Hyatt’s Milestone Rewards to be truly meaningful, they need to come with choice and ease of use. Each and every loyalty member values different enhancements of the travel journey. Maybe it’s a suite upgrade, maybe it’s a FIND experience (Hyatt’s platform to book wellbeing experiences) or maybe it’s simply bonus points. Awards can be selected, gifted and redeemed online or through the World of Hyatt app. What helps a member be their best is always unique. That’s why award choice is critical to World of Hyatt’s evolution.
How is Hyatt looking at new ways to engage with guests, for example through ‘Be More Here’?
World of Hyatt cares for its members as individual people and goes beyond a traditional loyalty programme, by caring for the people in the members’ lives, too. Guests find a curated portfolio of hotels that span the globe, plus exclusive member invites to ‘Be More Here’ – all while unlocking benefits that reward exploration.
What was the inspiration behind ‘Be More Here’? Take us through the process.
The ‘Be More Here’ platform strategy is rooted in the human truth that meaningful connection is frequently sacrificed to meet the demands of our everyday lives. The World of Hyatt brand, through its well-appointed care, allows you to experience the magic that happens when you are truly, finally present. We wanted to showcase how World of Hyatt provides an environment that unlocks connection between family, friends, or even colleagues. It beautifully showcases those connection moments in a way that makes the viewer feel like they are right there with the guest.
How does the recent integration of Mr & Mrs Smith complement Hyatt’s commitment to luxury, and its pipeline of new luxury properties?
The addition of the hotels and villas curated by Mr & Mrs Smith complements the recently announced pipeline of more than 35 new luxury properties across our Timeless, Boundless, Independent and Inclusive Collection brands. This is another example of Hyatt doubling down on caring for today’s luxury travellers and their wellbeing priorities. World of Hyatt members now earn and redeem at participating Mr & Mrs Smith hotels in new countries around the world including the addition of more than 20 new, sought-after places to World of Hyatt such as Namibia, Fiji and the British Virgin Islands.
According to a recent IPSOS report commissioned by Hyatt, wellbeing is a top traveller priority. What does Hyatt mean by wellbeing and how do you market this?
We know wellbeing means something different to everyone, which is why our approach is grounded in listening so that we can offer personalised experiences like our recently announced relationship with Peloton. Travellers want more than just a good night stay and wellness tourism is set to cross the $1 trillion mark in 2024. This data suggests that travellers are indeed placing a higher emphasis on health and wellness amenities when planning their vacations, a trend that Hyatt is well-positioned to accommodate through our diverse and expanding portfolio of luxury, wellness-focused offerings.
What does wellbeing mean to you personally?
For me it’s all about balance and restoration. It’s often difficult to find time in the day for my wellbeing, so I carve out time to attend my favorite Pilates class a few times a week. I also look for ways to rejuvenate through relaxation at my favorite spa or go outside to experience nature and more. As a working mum, making sure I set time to be entirely focused on my young daughter is a priority for both my wellbeing and also hers.
You have undoubtably stayed at some standout properties over the years, could you highlight a few that have earned permanent spots in your best travel memories?
I’ve only been at Hyatt for one and a half years, so I have an envious list of the must-travel properties still to explore. Of the places I have been so far, Alila Ventuna Big Sur, Impression by Secrets Moxche and the historic Grand Hyatt Hong Kong can’t be beaten. Personally, I am looking forward to Park Hyatt St Kitts for personal travel that I have planned.
What are your favourite cities for food, history, and shopping?
One of the most special places that I have experienced that achieves all three is Vietnam – the history, the shopping and, oh my, the food. I still dream of the food that you can’t find anywhere else no matter how many times I have tried – if anyone knows where you can eat Cao Lau in the States, send me a message!
