Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has announced a series of new initiatives aimed at enhancing the guest experience and increasing franchisee profitability.

These initiatives include strategic partnerships, the introduction of advanced technology solutions, and a focus on operational efficiencies.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts president and CEO Geoff Ballotti said: “As the world’s largest hotel franchisor, we believe in putting hotel owners first. That means listening to their needs and responding with solutions that help them take their business to the next level.

“Whether it’s our #1 rated rewards programme, our best-in-class technology, or our top-tier sales, marketing and operational support—everything we do, every decision that we make, is grounded in their long-term success.”

Using its existing tech stack as the foundation, Wyndham has launched Wyndham Connect PLUS, an AI-driven guest engagement platform.

This platform offers automated AI text messaging and voice assistance to facilitate bookings, answer queries, and provide tailored recommendations.

It also includes integrated self-service check-in solutions, freeing up staffing resources.

Eligible franchisees have the opportunity to pilot this platform at no additional cost until the end of the year.

Additionally, Wyndham has introduced Wyndham Gateway, a new guest Wi-Fi portal that standardises the login experience and offers revenue-generating upsell opportunities.

This portal also removes loyalty enrolment requirements for hotels using the platform, turning a standard utility into a valuable upgrade.

Wyndham is also investing in the Wyndham Marketplace, a shopping platform that streamlines the process for owners to find and purchase brand-approved products at competitive rates.

Wyndham PriceIQ complements this by making price comparisons faster and easier.

A collaboration with sbe's Everybody Eats offers hotel owners the ability to provide food and beverage options without extensive equipment or large operations.

In addition, Wyndham has partnered with HUB International to address insurance needs, offering franchisees transparent and customised insurance solutions that align with Wyndham brand standards and aim to reduce costs.

These initiatives are part of Wyndham's OwnerFirst franchising approach and the Wyndham Advantage strategy, which has contributed to nearly 96% franchisee retention and a growing development pipeline.

Since becoming a public company in 2018, Wyndham has invested around $350m in technology and expanded support for hotels.

In March 2025, Wyndham disclosed an 8% increase in its quarterly cash dividend, from $0.38 to $0.41 per share, payable on 31 March 2025, to shareholders of record as of 17 March 2025.