InterContinental "Record High Membership Sign-Ups Since Hotel Membership Launch This Year"

InterContinental Hotel Membership 'iChoice'.

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] The Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas announced on the 15th that its annual paid membership program operated by the hotel, 'iChoice Membership,' recorded the highest number of new members since its launch in 2013. It is analyzed that the subscription rate among young customers in their 20s and 30s has significantly increased, and there is a rising preference for high-priced memberships.

The Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas revealed that the number of new iChoice Membership subscribers in 2021 increased by about 55% compared to 2020, based on an analysis of customers who joined within the past year since the membership was renewed and relaunched alongside the hotel's reopening in December last year. This also represents about a 30% increase compared to 2019, before the impact of COVID-19.

The hotel stated, "With overseas travel routes blocked due to COVID-19 and an increase in customers seeking lodging and gourmet experiences at hotels, interest in hotel memberships that allow for more reasonable spending has grown."

By age group, those in their 20s increased sixfold compared to the previous year, and those in their 30s increased 2.3 times. The average age of all members also dropped by about 5 years, from 51 years last year to approximately 46 years. This is analyzed to be influenced by the popularization of 'hotel-cations' centered on the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) and the emergence of hotel memberships as an alternative to overseas travel.

Among the three types of iChoice Membership?Smart, Gold, and Platinum?the Platinum membership (annual fee of 1.2 million KRW), which has the highest annual fee, attracted members with the lowest average age. The average ages of members by membership type were 49 for Smart, 45 for Gold, and 43 for Platinum, inversely proportional to the annual fees of 490,000 KRW, 750,000 KRW, and 1.2 million KRW, respectively.

The proportion of female members also rose to 22%, more than 7 percentage points higher than the 15% recorded before COVID-19 in 2019.

The hotel expects demand for hotel memberships to continue with the phased recovery of daily life (With COVID-19) and the year-end gathering season. The Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas allows immediate membership registration through its website.

The iChoice Membership offers various benefits by tier, including a one-night stay voucher to experience the hotel’s new rooms, restaurant vouchers worth between 100,000 and 400,000 KRW, brunch discounts, buffet meal vouchers, and cake exchange coupons. Members can also receive up to a 33% discount at restaurants. Gold members receive twice the food and beverage discounts (a total of 48 times) compared to Smart members, while Platinum members enjoy unlimited food and beverage discounts. Gold and higher tiers include hotel valet parking vouchers, and Platinum members receive two stay vouchers and fitness center access passes.