Wyndham Hotel Group (WHG) on Wednesday unveiled plans for a strategic transformation of its 16 brands (nearly 8,000 hotels) aimed at elevating the travel experience for millennials and the global middle class.
The product of an 18-month study focused on 50 recognized hotel brands along with the primary decision drivers of thousands of business and leisure travelers around the world, WHG as early as this summer plans to rejuvenate interiors and refresh marketing campaigns to enhance perks. For a complete overview of the transformations underway, click here).
“We believe travel is about creating lasting memories, but given what’s currently available in the market, travelers are forced to compromise enriching experiences because of price,” said Josh Lesnick, WHG’s chief marketing officer. “It’s time for the hospitality industry to get democratization right – it’s not just about value for money, it’s about the freedom to explore your world the way you want. Wyndham Hotel Group’s transformation enables that freedom.”
WHG partnered with Siegel+Gale, a brand strategy and experience firm, to understand guests’ preferences and priorities and design brand experiences tailored to elevate midscale and economy hotel stays by delivering both the wonders of travel and great value. The research yielded insights into traveler expectations that informed WHG’s transformation, including a more nuanced “one size does not fit all” approach to economy hospitality and an emphasis on a great experience over status.
These insights created the foundation for new brand promises for owners and guests built on differentiated values and guiding principles to drive more memorable experiences for travelers.
Building on the momentum of its revamped loyalty program, Wyndham Rewards, WHG clearly defined each brand creating new identities bringing to life a brand personality. For example, Super 8 has a new brand promise called, ‘An American Road Original’; Travelodge’s new brand promise is ‘Your Basecamp for Adventure’; and Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham’s new brand promise is ‘Brilliantly Efficient.’
Along with the brand experience, WHG is redesigned interiors with distinctive touches that differentiate welcomes, starting with websites to the moment guests enter their rooms. (For a preview of the refreshed brand identities, click here.)
WHG is also investing in:
Upgrading backend technology: WHG said it is the first hotel company of its scale to roll-out a secure, cloud-based property management system with automated revenue management capabilities to the majority of its portfolio. More than 300 hotels are converting to this best-in-class system each month; hotels that have adopted it have seen an increase in RevPAR.
Saying goodbye to the subpar and ushering in the new: WHG has never been more focused on improving the quality of its portfolio, having increased the number of substandard quality properties removed over the past two years while adding more than 650 new-construction hotels to its pipeline, including hotels under its LEED-certifiable Days Inn and Super 8 prototypes along with its Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham and Wingate by Wyndham brands.
New perks and partnerships: WHG’s loyalty program, Wyndham Rewards, has seen 5 million new members since the roll out of the simplified, single-tier redemption, and has just added an “elite” program that offers discounts on local experiences for no additional points at its top destinations around the world. WHG is also stepping up partnerships with apps, services and even chefs to upgrade guest experience. For example, there are cold brew parlors at select Wyndham Grand properties, and discounted admission to participating Six Flags theme parks.