Anyone who has ever stayed at any Taj property is highly likely to sing praises of its hospitality. I used to get quite irritated with those fanboy kind praises, until I stayed with them a couple of times. Now I get it.

Of course, there can be issues but when it comes to the art of hospitality, Taj is a maestro.

However, until a few years back, Taj was pretty clueless about running a good loyalty program. Where Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors of the world were acing it, Taj’s loyalty programs were at best mediocre.

Thankfully, things have changed now. There are plenty of exclusive benefits, privileges, offers and tie-ups for Taj loyalists as well. Let’s explore the world of Taj loyalty, shall we?

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Various Taj Membership Options - A quick look

Let’s first take a quick look at various membership programs available with Taj Hotels.

We will get into the details of each program soon. However, before that let’s have a look at various partnerships of Taj that can help you kickstart your Taj journey.

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Taj Partnerships

Taj has several partnerships that can help you save more and enjoy much better privileges without having to go through the usual grind of staying for 40 nights or spending 4 lacs etc.

Taj Credit Card Partnerships

There are several credit cards that offer complimentary Taj Epicure memberships and other benefits. You can not only save on membership fee and dining, you also get upgraded to Taj InnerCircle gold in most cases.

Here’s a look at some of the most popular ones:

Taj - Shangri-La Partnership

If you have a Shangri-La Jade or higher status, you can get a Taj Gold or Platinum status for as long as you maintain a status with either. Read more about the requirement and application process for Taj Shangri-La Status Match here.

In case you are a Singapore Air Elite, you can status match to Taj InnerCircle by first matching your Singapore Airlines status with Shangri-La and then to Taj.

Taj Airline Partners

Taj has partnered with several airlines to earn airline miles instead of InnerCircle points. However, you will probably get more value with redemption on hotels versus airmiles. You can see the current list of partners here.

Taj InnerCircle

Taj InnerCircle is the primary membership offering of Taj Hotels - their flagship loyalty program.

The way it works is pretty straightforward. You earn TIC points on all spends. Each TIC point is worth INR 1. You can redeem it for stay, dining, spa and other activities at the hotel.

It’s more like Accor ALL than Bonvoy or Honors. Points are worth a fixed value in currency. That’s it.

However, unlike Accor, the earning and status benefits are much more rewarding.

There are 4 levels - Copper, Silver, Gold and Platinum. You join as a Copper and earn 4 points for every INR 100 spent.

If you have any of the above cards or offers we mentioned earlier, you might start with a higher tier.

Here is an overview of the benefits you get with various status levels.

Taj Epicure Dining Plans

Taj Epicure is the dining program of Taj.

For the uninitiated, dining programs are run by hotels to promote their in-house restaurants. Almost every dining program operates on a similar pattern - straight discounts on dining bills (generally pretty good) at restaurants and a few perks thrown in.

Taj Epicure comes in two flavours - Taj Epicure Preferred (INR 17,500 + taxes) and Taj Epicure Privileged (INR 25,000 plus taxes).

Taxes are generally around 18%.

On the face of it, both programs look pretty pricey, especially compared to other dining programs.

However, when you look at the benefits, it’s an attractive deal.

Give Epicure Preferred a skip.

Out of the two programs, Taj Privileged is a much better value for money.

For INR 7,500 extra, you get:

• an extra free night (can be easily worth 10k or more)
• access to Taj Club lounge twice (worth 3-4k at least)
• add-on card for your spouse. At 25%, Even a couple of dinners can be a huge saving.
• extra coupons for 20% off at Taj Palaces and Taj Safaris. Depending on the room and property, this alone might be worth more than the membership cost.

Even if you ignore all other benefits, 2 nights stay, 1 complimentary Spa, lunch for two and access to lounge alone are worth more than 40k, if redeemed at good properties.

The Chambers Global

The Chambers Global is an invite only Club membership program of Taj Hotels. The program is meant for super achievers - successful startup founders, big business-people etc.

The Chambers Global Membership comes at a cost of about Rs.20 lakh as joining fee and Rs. 3 lakh annual fee.

However, since the program is invite only, your offer may vary.

What will Taj Chambers Global membership get you?

• One-time transfer of Individual membership to son or daughter by filling in the Nomination Form, subject to consent and approval of IHCL.
• Complimentary Platinum Membership for the Member of the coveted Taj Inner Circle Program (excluding hotels stay experiences).
• Pool and Fitness Centre across Taj, SeleQtions and Vivanta Hotels worldwide (excluding Taj palaces)
• Business centre and club lounge across Taj, SeleQtions and Vivanta Hotels worldwide (excluding Taj palaces)
• Priority bookings with one level upgrade, subject to availability, across Taj, SeleQtions and Vivanta Hotels worldwide.
• The Chambers Concierge for a connected and seamless service across Taj, SeleQtions and Vivanta Hotels worldwide.
• Exclusive discounts, subject to availability of benefit at the Participating Hotels:
• 25% off at restaurants (excluding Wasabi and Orient Express) and bars on food and non-alcoholic beverages. Not valid on group bookings of more than 20 people and banquets.
• 25% off on the best available room rate on the hotel website, with complimentary breakfast, subject to a maximum of 5 rooms per day.
• 25% off on business centre bookings
• 25% off at Club lounge
• 25% off at JIVA spas
• 25% off at participating salons
• 50% off on laundry services
• Benefits of an Add-On card with following benefits:
• Pool and Fitness Centre across Taj, SeleQtions and Vivanta Hotels worldwide (excluding Taj palaces)
• Business centre and club lounge across Taj, SeleQtions and Vivanta Hotels worldwide (excluding Taj palaces)
• Exclusive discounts, subject to availability of benefit at the Participating Hotels:
• 25% off at restaurants (excluding Wasabi and Orient Express) and bars on food and non-alcoholic beverages. Not valid on group bookings of more than 20 people and banquets.
• 25% off on the best available room rate on the hotel website, with complimentary breakfast, subject to a maximum of 5 rooms per day.
• 25% off on business centre bookings
• 25% off at Club lounge
• 25% off at JIVA spas
• 25% off at participating salons
• 50% off on laundry services

Taj Advantage Plus

Taj Advantage Plus is the business rewards program of Taj Hotels. Every time you book a stay for your colleagues or employees at any Taj, SeleQtions, Vivanta or The Gateway hotels, you get TAP reward points.

These reward points can be redeemed for stays or dining.

You need a TAP number to use while booking a stay for others. To enroll, send an email to tajadvantageplus@tajhotels.com with your details like name, contact number, organization name and postal address.

Taj Alliance Preferred Partner

The Taj Alliance Preferred Partner Membership Programme (TAPPMe) is Taj’s Travel Agent program. It’s meant for travel companies that make hotel bookings on behalf of individuals or companies.

You can read more about and apply for the program here.