IHG One Rewards, IHG Hotels & Resorts’ loyalty program, announces a strategic cooperation with Luckin Coffee, also known as the Chinese Starbucks, to expand member experience, specially Chinese ones, across diverse scenarios.
Initially available just at Holiday Inn Express hotels this partnership with Luckin Coffee allows IHG One Rewards to offer more exclusive privileges for members.
Staying members of IHG loyalty programme, IHG One Rewards, at participating Holiday Inn Express hotels can get for free a takeaway cup of breakfast coffee. Staying Diamond Elite members will also receive the IHG One Rewards co-branded freeze-dried coffee gift box as a welcome gift.
Once washed away the financial scandal triggered by Luckin Coffee’s inflating revenues numbers in 2020 and overcomed the delisting in Nasdaq with the subsequent bankrupcy filling in the USA, Luckin Coffee was in fact one of the largest coffee chains in China with 8,214 stores and 21.6 million monthly active customers by the end of 2022.
Luckin Coffee’s new retail model leverages the mobile internet and big data for maximum efficiency. The chain cooperates with high-quality vendors for a superb customer experience, creating “lucky moments” every day.
The partnership with Luckin, initially implemented at Holiday Inn Express properties, is in line with both Luckin’s ethos of “high-quality, high-affordability, and high-convenience” and Holiday Inn Express’ ethos of providing a “simple and smart” travel experience. The cooperation will strengthen the experiential and social nature of the hotels, and further expand both brands’ relevance. Holiday Inn Express brand may better connect with its Chinese customers and Luckin Coffee has the chance to expand and regain relevance among the wide range of international customers of IHG.
Florence Hu, Chief Marketing Officer, IHG Greater China, said: “We know that a great cup of coffee is hugely important for busy business travelers at our hotels. This presents IHG with new opportunities to transform the daily experience of coffee-drinking into a well-received member benefit. Our collaboration with Luckin Coffee echoes IHG One Rewards’ vision of ‘Guest how you guest’, as well as IHG’s vision of creating a comfortable travel experience for guests. We are always focused on the travel and lifestyle needs of Chinese travelers, and we seek to enhance the member experience of IHG One Rewards through cooperation and innovation. With the heartfelt offer of a complimentary coffee in the morning, we hope our members will be energized throughout their busy work or travel day and will enjoy a ‘little Luckin’ during their journey.”
Jerome Qiu, Chief Operating Officer, IHG Greater China said: “China’s hotel industry has entered a new phase, and high-quality growth and improvement is our top priority. In response to the diverse and changing travel needs of consumers, Holiday Inn Express has been upgraded to version 3.0 to enhance the guest experience and strengthen the brand’s competitiveness in the mid-to-high-end select service hotel sector. In today’s world, where coffee culture is part and parcel of the domestic consumer market, IHG is leveraging its own strong market penetration to partner with Luckin Coffee to enhance the breakfast experience that Holiday Inn Express is already proud of. This will further empower the brand competitiveness of Holiday Inn Express and continue to deepen the development of lower-tier markets while stabilizing its position in first-tier cities and attracting more new-generation consumer groups who love coffee.”
Wu Gang, Senior Vice President of Luckin Coffee, said: “In the past two years, Chinese people have truly taken the magical experience of drinking coffee to heart. Luckin Coffee has launched popular products such as coconut and cheese lattes, and our freshly ground coffee drinks have won gold medals at the IIAC International Coffee Tasting Competition for five consecutive years, the only Chinese chain coffee brand to achieve such a feat. With this new partnership, Luckin Coffee has customized high-quality coffee beans to make a blend just for IHG hotels. Luckin Coffee has a vision of creating a world-class coffee brand and making Luckin as a part of everyday life, with our focus on the core values of quality and innovation. We want our signature products and services to inspire expectations for a better life.”
