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Wyndham reduces economy breakfast requirements

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced on Thursday that it is expanding franchisee relief measures by reducing breakfast requirements for its economy brands. Wyndham said in a statement that these changes, which were announced at Wyndham’s spring conference with North American franchisees, can help substantially reduce breakfast expenses for economy owners. Wyndham further added that it believes these are the most significant breakfast relief measures taken by a major hotel company for its franchisees to date.

The new economy breakfast guidelines build on previous Wyndham franchisee relief measures that began in March 2020 and included multiple fee waivers and extensions, as well as access to hospital-grade cleaning and safety products at reduced prices when these items were difficult to source early in the pandemic.

“Over the past two decades, the creeping cost of a free-breakfast has had an impact on hotel profitability, particularly in the economy segment,” said Scott LePage, president, the Americas, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. “The modifications we announced this week are based on extensive feedback from our owners, Franchise Advisory Councils and most importantly the guests we’ve surveyed on what they value most during their stay.”

Simpler options

For the over 3,000 Days Inn by Wyndham, Howard Johnson by Wyndham, and Super 8 by Wyndham hotels in the United States, the new breakfast requirements – which go in to effect July 1 – have been simplified to include upgraded coffee and juice beverages, plus one prepackaged food item such as a granola bar or breakfast pastry. Travelodge by Wyndham, one of the company’s other economy brands, will continue offering 24-hour beverage service.

For its economy brand Microtel by Wyndham, as well as its midscale and upper midscale brands, Wyndham is currently evaluating breakfast options with a similar goal of reducing costs while maintaining guest satisfaction. Current COVID-related restrictions around breakfast remain in place for these hotels.

Wyndham said it will closely monitor guest feedback related to the changes and will be prepared to make adjustments as necessary. Hotels interested in offering a more robust breakfast will have the discretion to adjust their breakfast offerings as desired.

Also, at this week’s “Count on Wyndham” virtual spring brand meetings, company leadership shared recovery strategies, tools and resources with thousands of North American franchisees. The company provided supplier discounts it secured from vendors; detailed the investments it is making in technology, sales and marketing to help owners generate and optimize revenue; and offered examples of how Wyndham’s owner-first value proposition makes it an attractive option for hoteliers looking to expand their portfolios.

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