Start here: The Club by SLH — joining, Qualifying Nights, Club 01 to Club 03 and Reward Nights

Step 1: What The Club by SLH is and who it suits

You will learn: what the program is, which document governs it, and who may join.

The terms open by describing the program as “the loyalty programme of Small Luxury Hotels of the World”, operated by Small Luxury Hotels of the World Limited, and define it as “a member recognition programme operated by SLH” [1]. On Flyerfolio the program hub is titled The Club by SLH; the Conditions themselves call the program SLH Club [1]. Membership is free of charge [1], and the contract between SLH and the member comes into existence when a member registers with SLH [1].

SLH may amend the Conditions at its sole discretion from time to time without notice, including the Benefits and membership tiers, and members must check the Conditions for changes each time they intend to use SLH Club [1].

The program suits individuals: a Member is “an individual who is aged 18 years and over”, only individuals are eligible to join, and membership is for personal use [1].

Step 2: Joining and your Membership Number

You will learn: how to register, when membership starts, and the rules attached to your Membership Number.

Registration is online at slh.com, via the SLH mobile App, or via Facebook or Google Plus, giving SLH contact details and a personal profile so it can provide a “personalised” service, and the details supplied must be true, accurate and up to date [1]. On registration a member is issued a Membership Number and registered as a tier 1 member, Club 01 [1]. Members who register directly through slh.com begin membership when they successfully validate their email address, have thirty (30) days from completing the online form to do so, and receive the Membership Number within twenty-four (24) hours of validating the account; members who register through Facebook or Google Plus are validated on registration and receive the number within twenty-four (24) hours [1]. A new member who wants tier 1 Benefits on a first stay must have registered at least seventy-two (72) hours before the reservation arrival date at the hotel [1].

Only individuals may join, for personal use; joint or family membership is not available; corporate bodies, partnerships, trade associations and other commercial bodies are excluded, including travel agents; a member may hold only one SLH Club account, and SLH will merge or remove additional accounts at its sole discretion [1].

Wording to note: the definition of Member describes an individual “registered for INVITED”, while the rest of the Conditions name the program SLH Club [1]. Both wordings appear as printed.

Go deeper: The Club by SLH program hub for every page on this program, and elite status for what tier status means in hotel and airline programs generally.

Step 3: How a stay becomes Qualifying Nights

You will learn: the conditions a reservation must meet to count, which nights are excluded, and when credits appear.

A qualifying booking must come through the SLH Reservation Channels, meaning SLH Voice, SLH.com, SLH App, SLH hotels.cn, or a travel agent who must use GDS code LX for SLH Club qualifying rates only [1]. Six conditions must all be met for a night to be credited:

• the reservation is made through the SLH Reservation Channels [1];
• the Membership Number is included with the reservation [1];
• the reservation is at an SLH Hotel [1];
• the reservation is made at least seventy-two (72) hours before the check-in date [1];
• the night is booked by the member to be used by that member personally [1];
• the booking uses a qualifying rate code, those being all publicly available rate codes or the SLH Club Rate [1].

If the number is missing at reservation, the member has five (5) Working Days from the date of check-out to update the account profile by contacting SLH Club at [email protected], and it is at the hotel's sole discretion whether Benefits are honored at check-in in that case [1]. Nights are counted from the number of nights spent at the hotel during the reservation period, regardless of the number of reservations or rooms, and from the start of the member's Tier Period [1]. Nights do not count where the booking was not made via the SLH Reservation Channels, including bookings made directly with the hotel and wholesale or tour operator packages; where the rate is not publicly available, or is a contracted airline crew rate or a travel industry rate including travel agent discount rates; or where a Complimentary Night or Reward Night is redeemed [1]. A no-show earns nothing, whether or not the member is charged for part of the stay under the hotel's no-show policy [1]. Credits are added seventy-two (72) hours after check-out where the number was given at reservation, or seventy-two (72) hours after SLH receives a late Membership Number, and SLH may cancel Qualifying Nights credited in error [1].

Step 4: Club 01, Club 02 and Club 03

You will learn: the tier thresholds, how upgrades, renewals and downgrades work, and when higher-tier Benefits start.

The program has three tiers. Club 01 is 0-3 Qualifying Nights within a Tier Period, Club 02 is 4-12, and Club 03 is at least 13 Qualifying Nights or a spend of six thousand USD ($6,000) within a Tier Period [1]. A Tier Period is twelve (12) months from the date a member enters an SLH Club tier or is automatically re-enrolled into the same tier [1].

An account showing three (3) Qualifying Nights is automatically upgraded from tier 1 to tier 2, and the member then begins a new Tier Period throughout which tier 2 Benefits apply; an account showing at least thirteen (13) Qualifying Nights or a spend of over six thousand USD ($6,000) is automatically upgraded from tier 2 to tier 3, again with a new Tier Period [1]. During a stay as a tier 1 member only tier 1 Benefits are received, regardless of whether the stay takes the member over three nights, and tier 2 Benefits apply only once the upgrade has happened; the same holds for a tier 2 member crossing the tier 3 threshold [1].

A tier 2 member who completes between three (3) and twelve (12) Qualifying Nights in the Tier Period is issued a new tier 2 Tier Period at the end of the current one, and a tier 2 member who does not achieve at least three (3) Qualifying Nights is downgraded to tier 1 at the end of the Tier Period [1]. A tier 3 member who completes thirteen (13) Qualifying Nights or a spend of over six thousand USD ($6,000) in the Tier Period is issued a new tier 3 Tier Period, and a tier 3 member who does not achieve that is downgraded to tier 2, subject to having achieved less than thirteen nights at the end of the Tier Period [1]. Starting a new Tier Period by upgrade, downgrade or renewal resets any accrued Qualifying Nights or revenue on the account to zero (0) [1].

Wording to note: Condition 5.1 sets Club 02 at 4-12 Qualifying Nights and Club 01 at 0-3, while Condition 7.1.2 upgrades a member whose account shows three (3) Qualifying Nights, and Conditions 7.2.4 and 7.2.5 renew Club 02 at between three (3) and twelve (12) nights and downgrade it below three [1]. Also, Condition 5.1.3 refers to “a spend of six thousand USD ($6,000)”, while Conditions 7.2.2, 7.3.2 and 7.3.3 refer to “a spend of over six thousand USD ($6,000)” [1]. Both wordings appear as printed.

Go deeper: Elite status for tier status generally, complimentary upgrade for how availability conditions work, and The Club by SLH program hub for the tier detail in full.

Step 5: Reward Nights and transfers

You will learn: how Reward Nights are issued and redeemed.

A Reward Night is a voucher to the value of $300 USD, described as the average value of a one (1) night stay at an SLH Hotel, towards the cost of a one-night stay [1]. A tier 3 member receives a Reward Night on entry to tier 3, and another each time the account achieves thirteen (13) Qualifying Nights or a spend of over six thousand USD ($6,000) and multiples of that, such as twenty-four (24) Qualifying Nights or a spend of twelve thousand USD ($12,000) [1]. The voucher carries a unique code, is dated the day it is sent, can be used once, is valid for twelve (12) months from issue and must be redeemed on check-out of a reservation within that period [1].

A Reward Night can only be redeemed on the SLH Club Rate or the SLH Bonus Rate, against a one-night stay, on new bookings only, so it cannot be combined with an existing booking, and it is subject to availability at the hotel's discretion, which may differ from general online availability [1]. The member pays a supplement if a standard double room rate for one night exceeds the voucher's value or if an upgrade of room type is chosen, and no change is given if the night costs less than $300 USD [1]. Requests must be pre-booked at least fourteen (14) nights before check-in by emailing [email protected] with the hotel name, arrival date, number of nights, number of adults, number of children and their ages, and the best way to contact the member including approximate time and date [1]. Vouchers cannot be exchanged wholly or partly for cash, and Reward Night reservations are non-flexible: once confirmed, no alteration or cancellation can be made, and the Reward Night is forfeited in case of either [1]. There is no limit to the number of Reward Nights earned in a Tier Period, but a maximum of five (5) can be booked consecutively per hotel per stay [1].

Benefits cannot be transferred to another member or Membership Number and there is no cash alternative, and all Benefits are subject to availability [1].

Step 6: Your first concrete action

You will learn: the five actions that take you from reading the rules to a membership that counts nights.

1. Register online at slh.com, in the SLH mobile App, or through Facebook or Google Plus, with details that are true, accurate and up to date [1].
2. If you registered directly at slh.com, watch for the email validation link and complete it within thirty (30) days of the online form; if you registered through Facebook or Google Plus, you are validated on registration. Either way, note the Membership Number that arrives within twenty-four (24) hours [1].
3. Keep the Membership Number private, and contact SLH immediately if it or the password is used without your authorization [1].
4. Plan the first stay so that registration is at least seventy-two (72) hours before arrival, the booking goes through the SLH Reservation Channels at an SLH Hotel at least seventy-two (72) hours before check-in on a publicly available rate code or the SLH Club Rate, and the Membership Number is on the reservation; if it was not, email [email protected] within five (5) Working Days of check-out [1].
5. If you reach Club 03, email [email protected] at least fourteen (14) nights before check-in for a Reward Night, on a new booking at the SLH Club Rate or the SLH Bonus Rate [1].

Next: The Club by SLH program hub collects every page about the program by task, and Guides takes you through booking and stay tasks step by step.