Stash Hotel Rewards

Audrey Yates

Guest Loyalty Shaper

Building a career in hotel partnership

I never set out to work in a sales role in any capacity. My background was more operations and customer service, but naturally, that translates to partnerships and sales through relationships. Prior to working with hotels, I was in the airline and corporate travel world, and throughout my 15-year career with Stash, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with the best independent hotels that have shaped how I lead my team and our approach to our hotel partners and industry partners. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that successful partnerships are built on trust and longterm value, not transactions.

Navigating Evolving Guest Expectations

Travelers today want more than a place to stay. They want experiences that feel personalized, authentic and effortless. They expect the convenience and technology they’ve grown accustomed to in other parts of their lives. They also want meaningful human interactions that make a stay memorable. This is something I strongly believe, regardless of the way our tech world shifts.

Technology should reduce friction and make the guest journey easier, but it should never replace hospitality. Hotels that can leverage data and technology to understand their guests while still delivering genuine, personalized services.

Independent hotels have both an advantage and a disadvantage here. They get to curate the guest experience in the best way with no brand standards breathing down their neck, but they lack the ability to access a database of guest preferences to do so. That’s why it’s so important to be part of a network and utilize the best technology.

Developing Partnerships within the Hospitality Industry

A partnership is successful when both companies share similar values, expectations and definitions of success. Before entering any partnership, we focus on understanding what matters most to the hotel and whether we can create meaningful value together.

The hospitality industry is built on relationships, and the best partnerships are those that continue delivering value over time. When both sides are committed to supporting one another and maintaining open communication, the partnership becomes a strategic advantage.

Navigating Challenges Faced By Hotels

One of the biggest challenges facing hotels today is standing out in an increasingly crowded marketplace. For independent hotels, that is absolutely the monopoly of brands. Travelers have more choices than ever, and hotels are competing not only with one another but also with alternative lodging options and experiences.

Operating costs and labor challenges will always be a factor. Hotel leaders can navigate these challenges by focusing on what makes their property unique, investing in guest retention and leveraging partnerships that help drive direct bookings and repeat business. In many cases, it’s cost-effective to retain a guest rather than continuously acquire new ones.

Advice for Future Hospitality Leader

I believe we’ll continue to see a greater emphasis on personalization, loyalty and experiential travel and the evolution of AI and where that fits into the industry in both positive and negative ways. Guests are increasingly seeking hotels and properties that reflect the character of a destination and provide memorable experiences rather than standardized stays. Independent hotels are especially well-positioned to meet those expectations, over and over again.

For emerging professionals, my advice is to stay curious and focus on building relationships. Hospitality is an industry that evolves constantly, and some of the greatest opportunities come from being adaptable and willing to learn. The independent hospitality world is even smaller, and you will quickly learn that the connections you make are the most important to your success. Technology will continue to transform the industry, but success will always come back to understanding people, solving problems and creating experiences that leave a lasting impression