Penn National and Choice Hotels Merge Loyalty Programs for Improved Experiences

Choice Hotels has teamed up with Penn National Gaming, merging the two companies’ loyalty programs to drive new synergies and benefits to business.

Penn National and Choice Hotels Loyalty Programs Integrate

Penn National Gaming and Ascend Collection hotels operator, Choice Hotels International, have agreed to pool efforts and integrate their loyalty programs for better overall consumer experiences.

As a result, active and future members of the Penn National Gaming’s MyChoice program can spend loyalty points at any Choice-owned hotel. The opposite is true with Choice’s Choice Privilege program enabling consumers to benefit from Penn’s dedicated loyalty perks on-site.

To facilitate integration and boost synergies, Penn National properties are now listed on Choice’s booking platform, making it easy for Choice customers to book accommodation remotely. Commenting on the new partnership, Choice Hotels CCO Robert McDowell had this to say:

“With these exciting Penn properties joining Choice and our Ascend Hotel Collection network, we will be able to provide guests even more upscale travel experiences and a wider variety of fun and entertainment on the road.”

-Choice Hotels CCO Robert McDowell

There are some 47 million existing members who are part of the Choice Privileges loyalty scheme, bringing some significant customer base to Penn National’s corner.

For his part, Penn National Gaming SVP and CMO Jennifer Weismann added that the company was equally excited to extend its own loyalty program and forge a new alliance that will lead to better hospitality experiences for customers all around.  

Gaming and Proximity Determine Success of New Alliance

He was joined by Choice Hotels VP for Loyalty Programs and Customer Engagement, Jamie Russo, who shared his optimism about the future of the combined loyalty programs. The combination of the programs, Russo explained, was a continuation of both companies’ efforts to create new experiences and improve on existing offers for loyal customers.

Russo noted that Choice Privileges members are avid gamers, making Penn National Gaming the perfect partner as it runs and operates numerous gaming and sports betting facilities already.

Many Choice members are within a driving distance from a Penn property, Russo added, and that made the combination of the companies’ loyalty programs a highly-beneficial move to customers and business, he concluded.

Penn National has been grabbing headlines recently. The company hired Felicia Hendrix as CFO with the executive vice president, David Williams, stepping down earlier in January. The company launched Barstool Sportsbooks in both Indian and Michigan in December and posted strong results in Q3 2020.