LAS VEGAS — Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, kicked off the company’s 25th Global Conference at Caesars Forum here with some updates about what has changed since the last gathering in September 2023.
Earlier this year, the company opened its first HQ Hotel and Residences, a $100 million development in Antigua, through a partnership with Sam Nazarian. “He decided to come to Wyndham for our sales, our marketing, our loyalty, our distribution,” Ballotti told the attendees about Nazarian, and noted that the company has “dozens” of HQ Hotels and Residences in its pipeline.
Last fall, the company brought its Registry Collection to the U.S. and announced plans to do the same with its Residences brand.
The company has 16 Echo Suites extended-stay hotels either open or under construction, another 16 about to break ground this year and 275 executed contracts for future properties. “It's the fastest growing segment,” Ballotti said of extended-stay hotels, noting that the company added WaterWalk as its third extended-stay brand last spring.
During the opening general session of the conference, company leaders discussed several new initiatives.
New Technology
At the 2023 conference, Wyndham announced Wyndham Connect, a guest-engagement platform powered by Canary Technologies. “Wyndham Connect has been a game changer for so many of you in terms of upping your game, connecting with guests and saving your staff time,” Ballotti told the attendees.
The company is now expanding the platform with Wyndham Connect Plus, which will further embed AI across the guest journey. Automated AI text messaging and voice assistance will help guests book stays, ask questions and access tailored recommendations while newly integrated self-service check-in solutions help hotels free up staffing resources. Qualified franchisees can pilot the new platform at no additional cost through the end of the year.
The company also launched Wyndham Gateway, a new guest Wi-Fi portal that unlocks a new hotel revenue stream through Wi-Fi upsell opportunities while eliminating loyalty enrollment requirements for any hotels leveraging the platform.
Simplified Sourcing
Wyndham Marketplace is a new hotel shopping platform that, when combined with the new Wyndham PriceIQ, makes it faster and easier for owners to find, compare and purchase brand-approved products at deeply negotiated rates. Meanwhile, a new partnership with sbe’s Everybody Eats food and beverage platform is helping hotel owners offer meals without the need for extensive equipment or large back-of-house operations.
Wyndham is also helping owners tackle what has become a critical and growing issue within the hospitality industry: access to affordable insurance. Through a partnership with HUB International, the fifth largest insurance brokerage firm globally, Wyndham franchisees now have access to transparent and tailored solutions designed to ensure compliance with Wyndham brand standards, improve coverage and lower costs.
Rewards & Experiences
The company announced Wyndham Rewards Experiences through partnerships with sports and entertainment brands including Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Minor League Baseball and Caesars Rewards. Members can now use their points to bid on live events as well as experiences. “It means tickets to some of the biggest concerts of the year,” said Mike Shiwdin, group vice president, guest engagement, loyalty and strategic partnerships, noting that 150 experiences have launched already and more are on the way.
Wyndham Rewards members will also soon have access to new dining perks, thanks to a partnership between Wyndham and Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar, part of Dine Brands Global. Launching later this year, the partnership will let Wyndham Rewards members staying at a Wyndham-branded hotel earn points when they place a mobile order with any of nearly 1,500 Applebee’s restaurants nationwide with free hotel delivery.
The company also is changing how it reimburses hotel owners for free-night stay redemptions. Currently centered around occupancy, reimbursements will soon incorporate guest satisfaction scores, aiming to reward and recognize hotels delivering great guest experiences. Launching later this year, the model is designed to retain Wyndham’s position of delivering the highest reimbursement rates of any major hotel rewards program.