Wyndham Revamps Reward Program
by Jessica Montevago /
Wyndham Hotel Group’s upgraded reward program, launching Wednesday, capitalizes on travelers’ desire for authenticity, offering trips to theme parks or local attractions for no extra points.
The new Go Free Plus and Go Fast Plus features allow travelers to redeem vouchers for a local experience, like a gastronomic tour in Mexico, a desert safari in Dubai, or a walking pizza tour in New York City. The program’s lowest level earns a $5 voucher per night toward the event, while members at the highest level receive two free tickets.
Noah Brodsky, senior vice president of worldwide loyalty and engagement, said it’s these details that will separate Wyndham in the minds of travelers. “What the competition is doing is you have to pay for it. With us it’s free,” he said. “We want your loyalty.”
Travelers will now be able to roll over nights from one year to the next, and four member levels will be added to the program—Blue, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond—offering perks ranging from annual bonus points to early check-in and late check-out.
Photo: Wyndham Hotel Group
The new program follows a successful first year of Wyndham’s stripped-down reward program. Launched a year ago, Wyndham Rewards gave members a straightforward, easy-to-follow structure. For a flat 15,000 points, members can redeem a free night stay anywhere in the company’s portfolio, including Days Inn, Super 8, and Wyndham Grand brands, with no blackout dates.
The program has been a hit for the company. Five million new members signed up, giving the program a total of 45 million members, and 80% of point redemptions were for hotel nights, rather than something like gift cards, Brodsky said.
Wyndham’s announcement marks a growing trend of hotels trying to one-up each other’s reward programs. Most are now offering special experiences in exchange for points, an especially important feature for Millennial travelers.
Wyndham told TMR the revamped program is not a part of a direct-booking campaign, which many of its competitors have recently announced, and all rates are available through the GDS. Free reward nights can’t be booked through travel professionals, but the company said it’s considering developing an agent program in the future.