‘We're giving independent hotels a technological superpower’

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By Jennifer Glatt | for Mint Pillow

Journey is redefining hospitality loyalty—not with points or perks, but through deeply personal guest experiences. Founded by former Red Ventures executive John Sutton, the new “hospitality experience platform” helps independent hotels deliver tailored, human-centered stays at scale using smart data and seamless system integration. 

Rooted in design, storytelling and entrepreneurial passion, Journey reimagines how travelers connect with the places—and people—they encounter. Sutton spoke with Mint Pillow just prior to Journey’s July 9 launch, highlighting how the platform creates meaningful connections regardless of guest status or spend.

What inspired the creation of Journey, and how is it different from other hotel loyalty programs? 

Journey was born from my personal frustration with existing loyalty programs. After spending over a decade developing customer data platforms, I realized travelers want more than just points. We're not just creating another rewards program; we're reimagining what loyalty truly means. We're building a fresh take on what I'm coining a hospitality experience platform, one that is really rooted in the experience, not transactions. And it just so happens that loyalty is at the core of how you can deliver that at scale across trying to enable personalization.

Traditional programs have become transactional; we want to help independent hotels compete with large corporate brands by providing technology that personalizes the guest experience. Unlike traditional programs that simply offer points, we're focused on creating deep connections. Our goal is to make travelers feel truly valued, not just give them a free bottle of water at check-in. 

How does Journey's technology help independent hotels improve their guest experience? 

We're giving independent hotels a technological superpower. Most small hotels can't compete with big corporate brands' data capabilities, so we've built a platform that levels the playing field. Our hospitality experience platform uses AI to help hotels understand guest preferences deeply. Imagine a system that can anticipate a guest's needs before they even arrive—that's what we're creating. We all want to feel special. We all want to feel like we're the VIP, no matter our prestige or our net worth. And I think operators, especially those entrepreneurs and founders in hospitality, want to make people feel that way, but they've run into the operational challenge of how to do that at scale.

How are you solving travelers' frustrations with existing loyalty programs? 

I am a frequent traveler who felt increasingly disappointed with traditional programs. Points get devalued, experiences become generic. We're flipping that model. Our goal is to make every traveler feel genuinely special. We want to learn about your preferences, understand your travel style and create experiences that feel personally crafted just for you. 

Journey addresses major frustration points. First, we eliminate the uncertainty of "upon availability" for upgrades and early check-ins. Second, we've created a points system that's more flexible—users can spend pending points for on-stay purchases. We're also the first platform combining independent hotels and short-term rentals, giving travelers a more comprehensive discovery experience.

What's the biggest technological innovation in Journey's approach? 

Our AI-powered platform is designed to be a true travel companion. We're not just collecting data; we're creating an intelligent system that learns and adapts. By understanding your preferences—the videos you engage with, the properties you favorite, the experiences you enjoy—we can create a more personalized travel experience. 

True personalization is easier than ever, meaning I can point our engine towards everything we might know about you, all the interactions you've ever had with us, all the messages you've sent us, plus whatever else you might be willing to share with us, and then try to synthesize that down to something actionable by the operator. Something simple and, in a perfect world, something automated, but it still recognizes you for who you are and what you care about, and hopefully rewards you for the engagement you have with the property, not just the dollars you spend.

Instead of us trying to replace technology operators already have, we hope to simplify as a layer above to solve the problems that people care about, primarily from an experience standpoint, for the guests, and then over time, we want to make it operationally easier, too.

What's the long-term vision for Journey? 

We want to democratize exceptional travel experiences. With over 1,400 properties already in our alliance—and that number is growing daily—we're building a network that empowers independent hotels to compete with large corporate brands. Our long-term vision is to become the premier platform for independent hotels and rentals, providing technology that levels the playing field with large corporate brands. The ultimate goal is to transform loyalty from a transactional reward program into a meaningful connection that makes every traveler feel truly understood and valued.

What components make a property a Journey property?

I would say there are four components:

Entrepreneur-owned and passion-led: Properties with an authentic founding story and passionate ownership.

Design with narrative: A design that tells a story, whether connected to locality, owner's passions, or architectural context.

Community and sustainability: How the property fits into its environment, neighborhood or broader business context, including the long-term sustainability of the concept.

Unscripted service: A personal approach to connecting with guests, where the team's culture and service style goes beyond a standard playbook and reflects the founder's vision.

I really think the future of loyalty isn't necessarily about trying to tackle high-net-worth spenders versus luxury spenders versus mid-market spenders, but instead is trying to solve consumers' problems. A lot of the problems that people who pay $100 a night are not dissimilar to those who pay $1,000 a night. They want to feel special. They want convenience. They want a personal touch. And then whether the room is super fancy and 100 square meters or 20 square meters is probably more of a real estate decision.

How do independent hoteliers view Journey's potential impact on their business?

Journey is a technological breakthrough for independent operators. It democratizes the capabilities of big brands, allowing smaller hotels to compete effectively. The platform helps us capture guest preferences, anticipate needs and create personalized experiences without losing the human touch. It's like having a sophisticated assistant that gets smarter with each interaction.

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Mint Pillow is curated and written by Jennifer Glatt and edited by Lesley McKenzie.