Hospitality Technology Magazine is reporting that loyalty program participation has gone up 19% during the recent recession. I haven’t had a chance to read the associated whitepaper yet. But I suspect the results are related to guests looking for any ‘edge’ to save money and get the same level of service they’ve grown accustomed to prior to the economy going south. I know if I can leverage a loyalty program to stay at a nice full-service brand for roughly the same cost as a limited service brand I’m doing it. I would also think the extra effort brands have put into their loyalty program lately is paying off.