To recognize its first decade serving travelers, Wyndham Worldwide has announced a new global philanthropic partnership with Save the Children.
“For the past ten years philanthropy and volunteerism has been central to our culture and we have consistently strived to do business in a way our associates, partners and shareholders can be proud of,” said Stephen P. Holmes, chairman and chief executive officer. “It made sense to us to celebrate our anniversary with a focus on serving others, especially children and families.”
With operations in over 120 countries including the United States, Save the Children is the leading global non-profit organization focused exclusively on the wellbeing of children around the world. In its first global philanthropic partnership, Wyndham Worldwide will support Save the Children across its corporate locations around the world through workplace giving events, disaster relief and emergency fund raising, and promotion of the Save the Children signature child sponsorship program. The Company’s initial donation of $250,000 will be focused on educational programs, helping to transform over 7,500 classrooms with learning materials to reach 250,000 students globally.
While this new partnership will create a way for all Wyndham Worldwide associates to make a more collective impact on a global scale, it’s only the latest in the company’s history of community support and volunteerism. Since 2006, the company has provided its US-based associates with a paid day off “Wish Day” to volunteer in the community, as well as a company match for personal charitable donations. Most notably, the Company holds annual campaigns and volunteer efforts supporting Christel House International, founded by Wyndham’s RCI brand founder Christel DeHaan; made community support a centerpiece of the annual Wyndham Championship on the PGA TOUR, and supported local efforts for Big Brothers Big Sisters, Special Olympics, community food banks, and more. Recently, the company also launched a youth scholarship program in the US.
To kick off the new Save the Children partnership, associates at the company’s New Jersey headquarters will assemble hundreds of emergency preparedness kits for Save the Children, as well as clothing, food, and school supply drives for various local organizations.
When the company was launched in 2006, it was instantly one of the largest hospitality companies in the world, and the only company providing travelers with access to a collection of local and global hospitality brands in hotels, vacation ownership, as well as unique accommodations, such as vacation exchange, holiday parks, and managed home rentals.
Over the past 10 years the company has successfully grown its core businesses by “embracing the everyday traveler,” and maintaining focus on making travel more accessible to more people in more places than any other hospitality company.
Today, Wyndham has over 120,000 places to stay around the world, through such iconic hotel brands as Ramada and Super 8, innovative brands like Microtel by Wyndham and Tryp by Wyndham, upscale brands like Dolce and our namesake Wyndham Hotels. Beyond hotels, Wyndham is home to the world’s largest vacation ownership portfolio with brands serving nearly 900,000 owners across the US, Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, Brazil, Asia and the South Pacific. And, in capturing the increasing market for travelers seeking unique experiences, the company’s Destination Network offers industry-leading brands across vacation exchange, holiday parks, and private home rentals, including RCI, Novasol, Hoseasons, and Wyndham Vacation Rentals.
Since 2006, the company has continually added to this global portfolio in size, scale, and depth of options. From welcoming brands like Shell Vacations Club, Baymont, ResortQuest, and James Villas to adding new types of travel experiences like Margaritaville themed vacation ownership resorts, RCI offering the first vacation exchange travel to Cuba, and everything from castles to houseboats and treehouses through its European and US rental brands.
Tying this “house of brands” together is Wyndham Rewards, the company’s re-imagined loyalty program, which has achieved wide acclaim since its relaunch in 2015 which made the program simpler for members to earn and redeem points faster.
Fueling its decade of global growth that now encompasses unique places to stay across 100 countries, is the company’s focus on creating a unique culture that drives value for others and aspires to care for people, preserve the planet, and provide places to stay that are socially, environmentally, and economically responsible.
The company’s award-winning Corporate Social Responsibility programs and initiatives have resulted in Wyndham Worldwide being named the among DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity, FORTUNE World’s Most Admired Companies, World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Magazine, the global industry leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and listed as one of the Top 100 Greenest Companies in the World by Newsweek.
“For the past decade, we have offered travelers something no other hospitality company could – the opportunity to have great travel experiences, no matter the location or type of accommodation, and we’ve done it in a way that delivers value for our shareholders, opportunity for our associates and partners, and support for those around us,” said Holmes. “As we look ahead, I see the next ten years creating even greater opportunities for a company like ours. The consumer landscape is changing, and we’re making bold moves to meet the needs of the future traveler. For wherever they want to go, and however they want to stay, Wyndham Worldwide is ready.”
