Wyndham Hotel Group has revealed details supporting its industry-defining transformation, including innovative brand initiatives and an ongoing focus on better quality, marketing and technology.
“With our expansive portfolio, Wyndham Hotel Group has an unprecedented opportunity to champion the everyday traveler and change the economy and midscale hotel landscapes,” said Geoff Ballotti, Wyndham Hotel Group president and CEO. “We are laser-focused on delivering the best the industry has to offer – from high-quality hotels and best-in-class technology to inventive sales and marketing efforts and a revolutionary loyalty program – and we’re seeing the pay-off. We’re driving innovation and transformation every step of the way so our guests and franchisees get the greatest possible value and experiences.”
Distinct brands, distinct experiences
At its Global Conference at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas this week, Wyndham Hotel Group unveiled to nearly 6,000 franchisees refreshed marketing campaigns and websites for its brands along with a bounty of new guest-facing initiatives reinforcing and amplifying the unique positioning of each of brand. This transformation aims to keep the company’s brands relevant for the everyday traveler and elevate guests’ hotel experiences wherever they go and however they choose to stay.
Ranging from a pilot “text request” program for the efficient Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham—the first-ever at an economy brand—to a new “Grab and Go” breakfast at the always-adventure-ready Travelodge and Ramada’s bento box-inspired food and beverage offering—each initiative holds a clear and distinct tie back to its brand’s promise. Nearly 30 programs are currently in market or under development. Read about them here.
Loyalty program
The company’s loyalty program, Wyndham Rewards, is propelling greater loyalty and repeat business through franchisees’ hotel doors with its attainable value proposition and newly added Members Levels, which offers the industry’s first-ever, experience-enhanced redemption rewards with go freesm PLUS and go fastsm PLUS. Since launch, nearly seven million new members have joined the program, and more than one million award nights have been redeemed.
Josh Lesnick, Wyndham Hotel Group EVP and CMO, said, “Hotel loyalty programs had become overly complicated and confusing, and we single-handedly reinvented the space by completely transforming Wyndham Rewards. Now, our simple and generous structure, complemented by industry-leading redemption experiences, has catapulted Wyndham Rewards to the number one spot among U.S. News and World Report’s Best Hotel Rewards Programs. We have the same incredible opportunity with our iconic hotel brands: this is about saying no to cookie cutter and yes to reforming economy and midscale. While we’re enriching the guest experience to meet the needs of today’s traveler, we’re also creating important lines of distinction in an increasingly crowded and competitive industry.”
Bolstering quality and driving growth
Wyndham Hotel Group is steadfastly strengthening the overall quality of its growing footprint, unwavering in its approach to removing hotels that no longer meet quality standards—a number which has increased three fold in just a few years. As unfit properties leave its system, Wyndham Hotel Group is attracting higher-rated hotels through conversions, closing the quality gap and elevating the caliber of hotels within its portfolio.
New construction, driven by Wyndham Hotel Group’s seven LEED-certifiable, modern economy and midscale prototype designs, plays a critical role in hotel quality, accounting for 66 percent of the company’s current development pipeline.
“We open two hotels every day of the year – growing faster than any hotel company on the planet – so an integral part of delivering greater guest experiences is educating and enabling our owners to more easily and expediently manage their hotels’ reputations online through our proprietary WynReview,” added Ballotti. “We’re now seeing year-over-year upticks across each and every brand’s WynReview and Net Promoter Scores. We’ve seen tremendous strides in how our owners are embracing quality, as well as the impact such an investment can have on their bottom lines and on guest satisfaction.”
Technology
Wyndham is also overhauling its back-end technology ensuring its hotel owners are offering the right price at the right time. The Group has rolled out a cloud-based PMS helping economy and midscale hoteliers more effectively and efficiently manage daily pricing and inventory. Additionally, all of the company’s nearly 8,000 hotels are migrating to Sabre’s SynXis CRS, connecting owners to more than 400 distribution partners and giving them access to a broad array of currency and language capabilities.
Today, more than 2,000 hotels have transitioned to the Sabre SynXis PMS with Infor EzLITE functionality – a number expected to rise to 3,000 by year’s end as more than 350 hotels migrate each month – and four brands have migrated to the Sabre SynXis CRS to date. Both migrations are expected to be fully complete by early and late next year, respectively.
“When it comes to global connectivity and distribution, technology is evolving by the day,” said Ballotti. “In forging partnerships with Sabre, Infor, Elavon, and other technology leaders, we are providing our owners with access to best-in-class, cutting-edge, cloud-based software and revenue management services that are providing unprecedented stability and support along with increased central contribution and market share growth.”
Wyndham Hotel Group’s Global Conference is one of the world’s largest gatherings of hoteliers, bringing together nearly 6,000 franchisees representing the company’s nearly 8,000 hotels in 73 countries.
