Unlike legacy hotel loyalty programs operated by major chains, which tend to emphasize consistency and brand-level status, Journey’s program is positioned around personalization and discovery.By Lea Mira, HTN staff writer – 8.7.2025

Journey, a New York-based loyalty platform for independent hotels, resorts, and private rentals, has raised $7.7 million in seed funding to support the expansion of its guest rewards program and AI-enabled technology platform for hoteliers. The round was co-led by venture capital firms Lerer Hippeau and Slow Ventures, with additional participation from notable investors including Brian Kelly, founder of The Points Guy; Chris Burch, co-founder of Tory Burch; entrepreneur Kim Perell; and early-stage firm Bulletpitch.

The company describes itself as the first loyalty platform purpose-built for independent hospitality operators, combining a consumer-facing rewards model with a backend technology suite. The funds will be used to scale both the guest-facing loyalty program and the operator tools, which together form what the company calls its Hospitality Experience Platform (HXP). Journey’s network currently includes more than 1,400 properties worldwide, ranging from luxury hotels such as Nihi Sumba in Indonesia to boutique accommodations like Dunton in Colorado and Castle Hill Inn in Rhode Island.

Unlike legacy hotel loyalty programs operated by major chains, which tend to emphasize consistency and brand-level status, Journey’s program is positioned around personalization and discovery. Members earn five times more points for direct bookings with participating properties than for third-party bookings, with an option to redeem pending points during their stay—a feature the company says addresses one of the most common pain points for travelers accustomed to delayed or limited redemption options.

For operators, Journey’s AI-enabled platform is designed to streamline guest engagement, boost direct bookings, and convert fragmented data into real-time hospitality actions. By combining loyalty features with automation tools, Journey aims to give independent hotels access to functionality that has typically only been available to large branded chains with proprietary tech stacks.

Founder and CEO John Sutton said the company’s vision is to reimagine loyalty in a way that supports both guest preferences and operator performance. “We have created a platform where guests are rewarded for choosing character-rich, independent stays, and hotel and short-term rental operators can finally access technology to deliver exceptional experiences,” said Sutton.

Lerer Hippeau Managing Partner Eric Hippeau, who previously served on the boards of Starwood and Marriott, said Journey’s model reflects significant shifts in both consumer travel preferences and operator needs. “Guests and hoteliers alike will benefit immensely,” he said.

Slow Ventures Managing Director Kevin Colleran also emphasized the value to previously underserved travelers who may have opted for chain hotels in the past to retain loyalty benefits. “This will help so many hotels that were previously overlooked by travelers like me who were always forced to stay at the big chains,” he said.

While Journey is entering a competitive segment of the hotel technology space, it differentiates itself through its dual focus on loyalty and automation. Existing platforms that offer loyalty solutions for independents, such as The Guestbook or Stash Hotel Rewards, typically focus on points or cash-back models but offer less integrated technology. Others, like Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ I Prefer program, support high-end independents but operate within a more traditional framework. Journey is positioning itself as a modern alternative built on AI infrastructure and a shared currency system.

In addition to hotels, Journey’s inclusion of short-term rentals in its network broadens its reach into a category that, until now, has lacked meaningful loyalty integration. The company has not announced partnerships with PMS or CRM vendors, though Sutton has indicated future integrations are on the roadmap.

Journey is currently offering an early access program for hotels and private rental operators. The company’s stated goal is to build a loyalty ecosystem that rewards both guest behavior and brand diversity, offering a more flexible and technology-forward alternative to the points programs of legacy hotel chains.

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