Last year, we celebrated five years of making hotel travel possible for all. The milestone was a chance to reflect on our many achievements over the years—from launching new brands and entering new markets to welcoming our 100 millionth Wyndham Rewards member. We also gathered for our first Wyndham Global Conference since the pandemic. Franchisees, vendors, team members, partners and more celebrated the return of travel, and the even greater reminder that we can make a difference when we come together as one.
As we continue growing and evolving to meet the needs of our guests and franchisees, one thing continues driving us forward: our core values of Integrity, Accountability, Inclusivity, Caring and Fun. With approximately 9,200 hotels in more than 95 countries, we—along with our franchisees—impact and influence millions of people every year. Our values ensure we do so in ways that are responsible, meaningful and always in support of a larger global community that we’re humbled to be part of.
Our values-led approach to business is not only working but continues to be recognized by those around us. This includes recognition as one of the Net Zero Leaders by Forbes for our efforts to help slow climate change, selection by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the fourth time, receiving honors as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity by Newsweek and most recently being named to Fair360’s 2024 list of Top 50 Companies for Workplace Fairness. Our goal is to do business in a way that builds pride for our associates, owners and guests, and these accolades remind us that we’re walking the right path.
From our Board of Directors to team members and loyal Wyndham Rewards members, serving the global community we’re part of is close to our heart. In 2023, we contributed nearly $1,000,000 in cash donations, including matching contributions and in-kind donations of over 13 million Wyndham Rewards points to support organizations like Polaris, Clean the World Foundation, Starlight Children’s Foundation and more. Our rewards members continue to show great compassion in serving the causes close to them, and since the program’s inception, over 181 million points have been donated to charitable organizations.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the support of our invaluable team members, who day-in and day-out, live our “Count on Me” service culture—delivering great experiences by being responsive, respectful and always doing the right thing. Their dedication to their work is matched only by their dedication to supporting causes they’re passionate about. Last year, team members participated in over 2,600 hours of service as part of our signature WISH Days, which allow team members a full day of paid time off to give back to the causes important to them. In addition to activities like cleaning local parks or packing Thanksgiving meals in their communities, Wyndham also came together for the first-ever virtual- day of giving. Team members spanning the globe assisted nearly 400 blind or visually impaired individuals with daily tasks like picking out outfits or reading product labels. Hospitality is based on serving others, and our team members around the world are walking examples of that each and every day.
As we think about our business, we know our industry offers tremendous opportunity for entrepreneurs
to succeed—yet that path to opportunity has not always been easy, particularly for women and Black entrepreneurs. Through ground-breaking initiatives like Women Own the Room and BOLD by Wyndham, we’re leveraging our scale and resources to elevate these entrepreneurs, and break down barriers on their path to hotel ownership. A more diverse and inclusive hotel industry is a stronger hotel industry and for that reason, we’re committed to doing everything in our power to help these owners succeed.
We also want to help make the world a better place by preserving our environment. With our Wyndham Green Program, we’re taking measurable steps to make sustainability more attainable for our franchisees, focusing on simple solutions that we know will make a long-term difference. In just the last year, the program has grown globally by more than 135%, and we’ve added 13 hotels to the highest level – Level 5 Expert. These hotels, including Super 8 by Wyndham Chester East, Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Chennai and Wyndham Tamarindo, are going above and beyond to protect our planet, and they set the standard for excellence in how we can truly make a difference .
Travel gives us a beautiful view into the world we live in, and it’s our continued responsibility to make it a better place. We’re passionate about this journey and look forward to seeing you at one of our hotels soon. When you arrive, our franchisees and their teams will be there, ready to extend a warm Wyndham Welcome .