Wyndham Hotel Group is adding the ‘by Wyndham’ label to 12 signature economy and midscale brands, with the brand now set to appear on 7,074 hotels around the world.
Unveiled in front of thousands of its franchisees at the company’s Global Conference this week (Apr 19), the plan to unite its signature lodging brands under the Wyndham banner is one of the largest name changes in the industry’s history.
Brands adding the “by Wyndham” hallmark are Super 8, Days Inn, Howard Johnson, Travelodge, AmericInn, Baymont, Ramada, Ramada Encore, Dolce, Dazzler, Esplendor, and Trademark – representing 7,074 properties across the globe. The move not only unites the Company’s diverse hoteliers under a common mission and name, but is also expected to favorably impact guest trial and brand awareness throughout the Company’s portfolio.
“As the leader in midscale and economy lodging, the Wyndham name has become synonymous with making hotel travel possible for all,” said Barry Goldstein, Wyndham’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer.
“This new designation for our brands is a celebration of the accomplishments we’ve made in our mission to make travel possible for everyone, revolutionizing Wyndham Rewards and elevating our brands through a laser focus on quality, technology, and sales and marketing.”
Beginning April 16, the updated brand names and logos will appear across Wyndham’s digital placements from brand websites to mobile sites and third-party listings. Hotel owners in North America may immediately begin placing orders for their new signs today. The updates will progress around the world with an expected completion date of December 2022.
The “by Wyndham” cross-branding initiative represents a further evolution of the Company and its brand portfolio leading up to its spin-off as a pure-play hotel franchising and hotel management company (Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Inc.), which is scheduled to occur later this quarter. Wyndham’s Wingate, Microtel, Hawthorn Suites and TRYP brands already incorporate “by Wyndham”, and all twenty of the Company’s hotel brands participate in its award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty program, which has more than 55 million members.
“In a world with thousands of hotel brands available, guests look to names they trust, like Wyndham, which they know means a quality experience and exceptional service,” said Wyndham’s senior vice president, Global BrandsLisa Checchio.
“Putting that powerful name on the front door drives trial and builds tremendous awareness. Think of how many potential guests drive past our signs: 80 percent of the U.S. population is within a 10-mile radius of one of our hotels, and between our scale and our broad geographic reach, our signs generate more than 500 billion roadside impressions in the United States alone.”
Research shows that nearly 45 percent of consumers “feel better” about an endorsed brand, and almost one-third expect a better quality experience. Wyndham has already seen this effect on several of its existing brands, including Wingate by Wyndham and Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham – two brands recognized by the industry for exceptional quality. For Wingate, the addition of “by Wyndham” in 2007 significantly increased brand awareness, and Microtel has experienced a steady increase in RevPAR performance compared to industry benchmarks since the “by Wyndham” addition.
The company says the shift also reinforces the power of Wyndham Rewards, which continues to drive loyalty to the entire family of brands. Guests will now be able to easily associate each “by Wyndham” brand with the top-ranked program – giving them peace of mind and a reason to return again and again.