Company Raises Full-Year 2024 EPS Outlook and Reaffirms Remaining Outlook
Grows System Size by 4% and Development Pipeline by 5%
PARSIPPANY, N.J., October 23, 2024 – Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) today announced results for the three months ended September 30, 2024. Highlights include:
System-wide rooms grew 4% year-over-year.
Opened over 17,000 rooms globally, including nearly 7,000 in the U.S., which increased 15% year-over-year, and the second ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham.
Awarded 197 development contracts globally, including 95 contracts in the U.S., which increased 10% year-over-year.
Development pipeline grew 1% sequentially and 5% year-over-year to a record 248,000 rooms.
Global RevPAR grew 1% in constant currency.
Ancillary revenues increased 8% compared to third quarter 2023.
Diluted earnings per share increased 7%, to $1.29, and adjusted diluted EPS grew 6%, to $1.39, or approximately 10% on a comparable basis.
Net income was $102 million for the third quarter, a 1% decrease over the prior-year quarter; adjusted net income was $110 million, a 1% decrease over the prior-year quarter, or a 3% increase on a comparable basis.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 4% compared with the prior-year quarter, to $208 million, or 7% on a comparable basis.
Returned $126 million to shareholders through $97 million of share repurchases and quarterly cash dividends of $0.38 per share.
“Our teams around the world once again delivered exceptional results, executing our long-term growth strategy and achieving 7% growth in comparable adjusted EBITDA fueled by continued system expansion, higher royalty rates and growth in our ancillary revenues,” said Geoff Ballotti, president and chief executive officer. “We awarded 10% more franchise contracts domestically this quarter, driving 5% growth in our development pipeline. Stabilizing RevPAR trends and improving comparisons coupled with increased infrastructure demand are expected to pave the way for improved results in the coming quarters. We remain steadfast in our long-term strategy, aimed at delivering outstanding value to our guests, franchisees and shareholders to whom we’ve returned nearly $380 million year-to-date in the form of dividends and share repurchases.”
System Size and Development
The Company’s global system grew 4%, reflecting 1% growth in the U.S. and 8% internationally. As expected, these increases included 3% growth in the higher RevPAR midscale and above segments in the U.S., as well as strong growth in the Company’s EMEA and Latin America regions, which each grew 11%. The Company continued to improve its retention rate and remains solidly on track to achieve its net room growth outlook of 3 to 4% for the full year 2024.
On September 30, 2024, the Company’s global development pipeline consisted of approximately 2,100 hotels and 248,000 rooms, representing another record-high level and a 5% year-over-year increase. Key highlights include:
7% growth in the U.S. and 3% internationally
17th consecutive quarter of sequential pipeline growth
Approximately 70% of the pipeline is in the midscale and above segments, which grew 6% year-over-year
Approximately 14% of the pipeline represents ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham for which the Company has awarded a total of 283 contracts since its launch.
Approximately 58% of the pipeline is international
Approximately 79% of the pipeline is new construction and approximately 35% of these projects have broken ground
During the third quarter of 2024, the Company awarded 197 new contracts, including 95 contracts in the U.S., which increased 10% year-over-year.
RevPAR
Third quarter global RevPAR increased 1% in constant currency compared to 2023, reflecting a 1% decline in the U.S. and 7% growth internationally.
In the U.S., RevPAR for the Company’s midscale and above segments was unchanged year-over-year while RevPAR for its economy segment declined 2% reflecting a modest acceleration from the second quarter with a sequential improvement of 10 basis points. Additionally, the Company’s U.S. economy brands continued to strengthen their position, gaining 50 basis points of market share in the third quarter driven by performance in oil and gas markets, which grew 250 basis points in the quarter, and in the five states with the highest infrastructure bill spend, which collectively grew 80 basis points. U.S. occupancy remained consistent, highlighting the resilience of the select-service space and consumer demand for these products.
Internationally, RevPAR for the Company’s EMEA, Latin America and Canada regions collectively increased 13% due to both continued pricing power, with ADR up 11%, and occupancy growth of 2%. RevPAR for the Company’s APAC region declined 7% driven by a 2% decrease in occupancy and a 5% decrease in ADR. Importantly, the third quarter RevPAR performance for APAC represented a 500 basis point sequential improvement.
Third Quarter Operating Results
Fee-related and other revenues were $394 million compared to $400 million in third quarter 2023, which included $18 million of pass-through revenues associated with the Company’s 2023 global franchisee conference, absent which, fee-related and other revenue increased 3%. The growth in fee-related and other revenues reflects higher royalties and franchise fees and ancillary revenues.
The Company generated net income of $102 million compared to $103 million in third quarter 2023. The decrease was primarily reflective of higher interest expense, partially offset by higher adjusted EBITDA.
Adjusted EBITDA grew 4% to $208 million compared to $200million in third quarter 2023. This increase included a $5 million unfavorable impact from marketing fund variability, excluding which adjusted EBITDA grew 7% on a comparable basis, primarily reflecting higher royalties and franchise fees, increased ancillary revenues and margin expansion.
Diluted earnings per share was $1.29 compared to $1.21 in third quarter 2023. This increase primarily reflects the benefit of a lower share count due to share repurchase activity.
Adjusted diluted EPS grew 6% to $1.39 compared to $1.31 in third quarter 2023. This increase included an unfavorable impact of $0.04 per share related to expected marketing fund variability (after estimated taxes). On a comparable basis, adjusted diluted EPS increased approximately 10% year-over-year reflecting comparable adjusted EBITDA growth and the benefit of share repurchase activity, partially offset by higher interest expense.
During third quarter 2024, the Company’s marketing fund revenues exceeded expenses by $12 million, in line with expectations; while in third quarter 2023, the Company’s marketing fund revenues exceeded expenses by $17 million, resulting in $5 million of marketing fund variability. The Company continues to expect marketing fund revenues to roughly equal expenses during full-year 2024.
Full reconciliations of GAAP results to the Company’s non-GAAP adjusted measures for all reported periods appear in the tables to this press release.
Balance Sheet and Liquidity
The Company generated $79 million of net cash provided by operating activities and $96 million of adjusted free cash flow in third quarter 2024. The Company ended the quarter with a cash balance of $72 million and approximately $750 million in total liquidity.
The Company’s net debt leverage ratio was 3.5 times at September 30, 2024, the midpoint of the Company’s 3 to 4 times stated target range.
During the third quarter of 2024, the Company executed $350 million of new interest rate swaps on its Term Loan B Facility, which will expire in 2028. The fixed rate of the new swaps is 3.3%. As a result, the Company ended the third quarter with approximately 80% of its total debt at a fixed rate and 20% variable.
Share Repurchases and Dividends
During the third quarter, the Company repurchased approximately 1.3 million shares of its common stock for $97 million. Year-to-date through September 30, the Company repurchased approximately 3.8 million shares of its common stock for $285 million.
The Company paid common stock dividends of $29 million, or $0.38 per share, during the third quarter 2024 and $92 million, or $1.14 per share, year-to-date.
Full-Year 2024 Outlook
The Company is refining its outlook as follows:
Year-over-year growth rates for adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income and adjusted diluted EPS are not comparable due to full-year 2023 marketing fund revenues exceeding expenses by $9 million, which substantially completed the recovery of the $49 million support the Company provided to its owners during COVID. The Company continues to expect marketing fund revenues to equal expenses during full-year 2024 though seasonality of spend will affect the quarterly comparisons throughout the year.
More detailed projections are available in Table 8 of this press release. The Company is providing certain financial metrics only on a non-GAAP basis because, without unreasonable efforts, it is unable to predict with reasonable certainty the occurrence or amount of all of the adjustments or other potential adjustments that may arise in the future during the forward-looking period, which can be dependent on future events that may not be reliably predicted. Based on past reported results, where one or more of these items have been applicable, such excluded items could be material, individually or in the aggregate, to the reported results.
Conference Call Information
Wyndham Hotels will hold a conference call with investors to discuss the Company’s results and outlook on Thursday, October 24, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET. Listeners can access the webcast live through the Company’s website at https://investor.wyndhamhotels.com. The conference call may also be accessed by dialing 800 579-2543 and providing the passcode “Wyndham”. Listeners are urged to call at least five minutes prior to the scheduled start time. An archive of this webcast will be available on the website beginning at noon ET on October 24, 2024. A telephone replay will be available for approximately ten days beginning at noon ET on October 24, 2024 at 800 695-0715.
Presentation of Financial Information
Financial information discussed in this press release includes non-GAAP measures, which include or exclude certain items. These non-GAAP measures differ from reported GAAP results and are intended to illustrate what management believes are relevant period-over-period comparisons and are helpful to investors as an additional tool for further understanding and assessing the Company’s ongoing operating performance. The Company uses these measures internally to assess its operating performance, both absolutely and in comparison to other companies, and to make day to day operating decisions, including in the evaluation of selected compensation decisions. Exclusion of items in the Company’s non-GAAP presentation should not be considered an inference that these items are unusual, infrequent or non-recurring. Full reconciliations of GAAP results to the comparable non-GAAP measures for the reported periods appear in the financial tables section of this press release.
About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world’s largest hotel franchising company by the number of properties, with approximately 9,200 hotels across over 95 countries on six continents. Through its network of approximately 893,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 25 hotel brands, including Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Microtel®, La Quinta®, Baymont®, Wingate®, AmericInn®, Hawthorn Suites®, Trademark Collection® and Wyndham®. The Company’s award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty program offers approximately 112 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit https://investor.wyndhamhotels.com. The Company may use its website and social media channels as means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Disclosures of this nature will be included on the Company’s website in the Investors section, which can currently be accessed at https://investor.wyndhamhotels.com or on the Company’s social media channels, including the Company’s LinkedIn account which can currently be accessed at https://www.linkedin.com/company/wyndhamhotels. Accordingly, investors should monitor this section of the Company’s website and the Company’s social media channels in addition to following the Company’s press releases, filings submitted with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any public conference calls or webcasts.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements related to Wyndham’s current views and expectations with respect to its future performance and operations, including revenues, earnings, cash flow and other financial and operating measures, share repurchases and dividends and restructuring charges. Forward-looking statements are any statements other than statements of historical fact, including those that convey management’s expectations as to the future based on plans, estimates and projections at the time Wyndham makes the statements and may be identified by words such as “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “predict,” “intend,” “goal,” “future,” “forward,” “remain,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “target,” “objective,” “estimate,” “projection” and similar words or expressions, including the negative version of such words and expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Wyndham to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, general economic conditions, including inflation, higher interest rates and potential recessionary pressures; global or regional health crises or pandemics including the resulting impact on Wyndham’s business, operations, financial results, cash flows and liquidity, as well as the impact on its franchisees, guests and team members, the hospitality industry and overall demand for and restrictions on travel; the performance of the financial and credit markets; the economic environment for the hospitality industry; operating risks associated with the hotel franchising business; Wyndham’s relationships with franchisees; the impact of war, terrorist activity, political instability or political strife, including the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East, respectively; Wyndham’s ability to satisfy obligations and agreements under its outstanding indebtedness, including the payment of principal and interest and compliance with the covenants thereunder; risks related to Wyndham’s ability to obtain financing and the terms of such financing, including access to liquidity and capital; and Wyndham’s ability to make or pay, plans for and the timing and amount of any future share repurchases and/or dividends, as well as the risks described in Wyndham’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks and uncertainties are not the only ones Wyndham may face and additional risks may arise or become material in the future. Wyndham undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Exclusive development agreement with NILE Hospitality LLP targets 40 hotels open by 2031, fuelled by increased inbound and domestic tourism
LONDON (17 October 2024) – Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has signed an exclusive development agreement with NILE Hospitality LLP to introduce its Microtel by Wyndham brand to India, marking the eighth Wyndham brand to debut in the country. This strategic alliance enables Wyndham to leverage a leading regional third-party developer and operator to bring its award-winning brand to India.
With Wyndham’s global presence and NILE’s expertise across India, the Company anticipates opening 40 Microtel hotels by 2031, all of which will be direct franchisees of Wyndham, as part of its ambitious and robust growth strategy. The agreement underscores the Company’s commitment to expanding in one of the world’s most dynamic growing hospitality markets, where it currently has 60 hotels open throughout India and expects to grow by at least 25% in the next 18 months.
A pioneer in efficiency, Microtel by Wyndham is known for its modern design, exceptional service and value-driven guest experiences, making it one of the most trusted names in the economy hotel segment. Wyndham’s agreement with NILE will see development of the brand in key Tier II, III and IV cities, in line with India’s infrastructure development cycle, with the first hotels opening in 2025. Each will have a minimum of 50 keys and feature meeting and social spaces, gyms and other facilities based on the needs of the region.
“We continue to see incredible opportunity in India, which is why we’re focusing our strategic efforts on introducing more of our diverse brands to the country. Microtel is an ideal example of a brand that can be purpose-built for the market and with the continued collaboration with trusted partners like NILE Hospitality, we can quickly scale to meet growing demand.”
– Dimitris Manikis, President EMEA, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
“Wyndham is a proven partner for NILE and this is just the latest chapter in our combined growth story as we aim to collectively tap into India’s rapidly expanding economy lodging segment. By introducing Microtel, we’ll be able to propel development in a robust domestic market while further tapping into the scale and resources of the world’s largest hotel franchisor. It’s an ideal match and reflection of our shared ambition to grow and build together.”
– Vikram Singh Chauhan, Founder and CEO, NILE Hospitality LLP
The Wyndham Advantage
Wyndham franchisees throughout the EMEA region benefit from the Wyndham Advantage—a combination of world-class marketing, distribution and other resources designed to put owners on the path to success. Inclusive of nearly $325 million in innovative technology investments over the past six years, owners have access to best-in-class technology from industry-leading providers, including next-gen property management systems, as well as a growing member base of approximately 110 million enrolled Wyndham Rewards members who make up more than a third of all check-ins globally.
Wyndham Rewards is the number one hotel rewards program, as named by both USA Today and U.S. News and World Report, with more than 60,000 hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals. Wyndham Rewards is the only hotel loyalty program where members earn a guaranteed 1,000 points with every qualified stay. Members can easily redeem points towards free nights at tens of thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals around the world or a host of other rewards like tours, activities, gift cards, shopping and more. Offering three simple redemption tiers, free nights start at just 7,500 points per bedroom per night, while discounted nights start at just 1,500 points per bedroom per night.
For more information on franchising opportunities with Wyndham, visit whrdevelopmentemea.com.
Images associated with this release can be downloaded here.
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About Microtel by Wyndham Microtel® by Wyndham is an award-winning chain of more than 360 economy hotels located throughout North America, Asia and New Zealand. Consistently over-delivering on both guest and owner expectations, Microtel ranks best-in-class by organizations like The Harris Poll®. Microtel’s rich award-recognized heritage is backed by 18 J.D. Power honors – the most of any hotel brand in the economy segment. Microtel prides itself on being an innovator, offering a midscale experience at an economy price with an array of complimentary amenities including free Wi-Fi and continental breakfast. Other amenities available at most hotels include meeting and fitness centers, swimming pools and the opportunity to earn and redeem points through Wyndham Rewards®, the brand’s guest loyalty program. Travelers can join the program for free at www.wyndhamrewards.com.
About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world’s largest hotel franchising company by the number of properties, with approximately 9,200 hotels across over 95 countries on six continents. Through its network of nearly 885,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 25 hotel brands, including Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Microtel®, La Quinta®, Baymont®, Wingate®, AmericInn®, Hawthorn Suites®, Trademark Collection® and Wyndham®. The Company’s award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty program offers approximately 110 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit wyndhamhotels.com.
About NILE Hospitality LLP
NILE Hospitality, founded in 2018, is a leading hotel management and development company in South Asia. Our unique understanding of Indian region’s hospitality business distinguishes us as a leader in service, performance and quality. Our reputation for consistently delivering outstanding results to our owners and upholding brand positioning of our hotels make us the preferred partners of Hotel Management in the sub-continent. Our dynamic team comes with an experience of leading international hotel brands in all phases of hotel operations, sales and marketing and development.
Our vision is to ensure that our every guest is seen, heard and met at our hotels and return home with memories of exceptional hospitality.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements related to Wyndham’s current views and expectations with respect to expected hotel openings and the timing thereof. Forward-looking statements are any statements other than statements of historical fact, including those that convey management’s expectations as to the future based on plans, estimates and projections at the time Wyndham makes the statements and may be identified by words such as “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “predict,” “intend,” “goal,” “future,” “forward,” “remain,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “target,” “objective,” “estimate,” “projection” and similar words or expressions, including the negative version of such words and expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Wyndham to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, general economic conditions, including inflation, higher interest rates and potential recessionary pressures; global or regional health crises or pandemics (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) including the resulting impact on Wyndham’s business, operations, financial results, cash flows and liquidity, as well as the impact on its franchisees, guests and team members, the hospitality industry and overall demand for and restrictions on travel; the performance of the financial and credit markets; the economic environment for the hospitality industry; operating risks associated with the hotel franchising business; Wyndham’s relationships with franchisees; the impact of war, terrorist activity, political instability or political strife, including the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas, respectively; Wyndham’s ability to satisfy obligations and agreements under its outstanding indebtedness, including the payment of principal and interest and compliance with the covenants thereunder; risks related to Wyndham’s ability to obtain financing and the terms of such financing, including access to liquidity and capital; and Wyndham’s ability to make or pay, plans for and the timing and amount of any future share repurchases and/or dividends, as well as the risks described in Wyndham’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks and uncertainties are not the only ones Wyndham may face and additional risks may arise or become material in the future. Wyndham undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Company Raises Full-Year 2024 EPS Outlook
Company Grows Development Pipeline by 7% and System Size by 4%
PARSIPPANY, N.J (July 24, 2024) – Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) today announced results for the three months ended June 30, 2024. Highlights include:
Global RevPAR grew 2% in constant currency.
System-wide rooms grew 4% year-over-year.
Opened over 18,000 rooms globally, including over 7,000 in the S., which represented a year- over-year increase of 16%, and the first ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham.
Awarded 180 development contracts globally, including 96 contracts in the S., which represented an increase of 33% year-over-year.
Development pipeline grew 1% sequentially and 7% year-over-year to a record 245,000 rooms.
Ancillary revenues increased 6% compared to second quarter 2023.
Diluted earnings per share increased 30%, to $1.07, and adjusted diluted EPS grew 22%, to $1.13, or 12% on a comparable basis.
Net income was $86 million for the second quarter, a 23% increase over the prior-year quarter; adjusted net income was $91 million, a 14% increase over the prior-year quarter.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 13% compared with the prior-year quarter, to $178 million, or 6% on a comparable basis.
Returned $162 million to shareholders through $131 million of share repurchases and quarterly cash dividends of $0.38 per share.
Successfully completed the repricing of its Term Loan B Facility, reducing its interest rate by 60 basis points to SOFR plus 1.75%, and upsizing the facility by $400 million.
“The resilience and highly cash generative nature of our business model was once again on full display this quarter,” said Geoff Ballotti, president and chief executive officer. “Amid a normalizing domestic RevPAR environment, we delivered strong adjusted EBITDA driven by net room and ancillary fee growth. We awarded 33% more hotel contracts domestically which grew our development pipeline to a record 245,000 rooms, and drove significant increases in our U.S, international and global royalty rates. Year-to-date, we’ve returned over $250 million to shareholders, representing 4% of our beginning market capitalization this year.”
System Size and Development
The Company’s global system grew 4%, reflecting 1% growth in the U.S. and 8% internationally. As expected, these increases included 3% growth in the higher RevPAR midscale and above segments in the U.S., as well as strong growth in the Company’s two highest international RevPAR regions, EMEA and Latin America, which grew 12% and 11%, respectively. The Company continued to improve its retention rate and remains solidly on track to achieve its net room growth outlook of 3 to 4% for the full year 2024.
On June 30, 2024, the Company’s global development pipeline consisted of approximately 2,000 hotels and 245,000 rooms, representing another record-high level and a 7% year-over-year increase. Key highlights include:
5% growth in the S. and 9% internationally
16th consecutive quarter of sequential pipeline growth
Approximately 70% of the pipeline is in the midscale and above segments, which grew 4% year-over- year
Approximately 14% of the pipeline represents ECHO Suites Extended Stay by
Approximately 58% of the pipeline is international
Approximately 79% of the pipeline is new construction, of which approximately 35% has broken ground
During the second quarter of 2024, the Company awarded 180 new contracts, including 96 contracts in the U.S., which represented an increase of 33% year-over-year.
RevPAR
Second quarter global RevPAR increased 2% in constant currency compared to 2023, reflecting flat growth in the U.S. and 7% growth internationally.
In the U.S., the Company’s midscale and above segments grew RevPAR 2% year-over-year while RevPAR for its economy segment declined 2%. Overall, U.S. RevPAR results were driven by growth of 90 basis points in occupancy, partially offset by a decline of 50 basis points in ADR. Importantly, RevPAR growth in the U.S. accelerated during the second quarter, improving 520 basis points sequentially, including an improvement of 560 basis points for its U.S. economy brands.
Compared to 2019, which neutralizes the impact of COVID recovery timing, the Company grew RevPAR for its economy and midscale brands by 9% and 8%, respectively, while RevPAR for its upscale and above brands continued to lag 2019 by 2%.
Internationally, RevPAR for the Company’s Latin America, EMEA and Canada regions collectively increased 15% due to both continued pricing power, with ADR up 13%, and occupancy growth of 2%. RevPAR for the Company’s APAC region declined 12% primarily due to a difficult year-over-year comparison resulting from that region’s COVID recovery timing in second quarter 2023. APAC occupancy declined 7% and ADR declined 5%.
Compared to 2019, which neutralizes the impact of COVID recovery timing, the Company more than doubled the RevPAR for its Latin America, EMEA and Canada regions, while RevPAR for its APAC region continued to lag 2019 by 11%.
Second Quarter Operating Results
Fee-related and other revenues were $366 million compared to $358 million in second quarter 2023, reflecting global net room growth of 4% and a 6% increase in ancillary revenue streams, partially offset by a $3 million decline in management fees, in part due to the exit of the Company’s S. management business.
The Company generated net income of $86 million compared to $70 million in second quarter The increase was primarily reflective of higher adjusted EBITDA, a benefit in connection with the reversal of a spin-off related matter and a lower effective tax rate, partially offset by higher interest expense and restructuring costs.
Adjusted EBITDA grew 13% to $178 million compared to $158 million in second quarter 2023. This increase included a $10 million favorable impact from marketing fund variability, excluding which adjusted EBITDA grew 6% primarily reflecting higher fee-related and other revenues, disciplined cost management given the recent RevPAR environment as well as a benefit from insurance recoveries.
Diluted earnings per share was $1.07 compared to $0.82 in second quarter 2023. This increase reflects higher net income and the benefit of a lower share count due to share repurchase activity.
Adjusted diluted EPS grew 22% to $1.13 compared to $0.93 in second quarter 2023. This increase included $0.09 per share related to expected marketing fund variability (after estimated taxes). On a comparable basis, adjusted diluted EPS increased 12% year-over-year reflecting comparable adjusted EBITDA growth and the benefit of share repurchase activity partially offset by higher interest expense.
During second quarter 2024, the Company’s marketing fund expenses exceeded revenues by $5 million, in line with expectations; while in second quarter 2023, the Company’s marketing fund expenses exceeded revenues by $15 million, resulting in $10 million of marketing fund The Company continues to expect marketing fund revenues to equal expenses during full-year 2024.
Full reconciliations of GAAP results to the Company’s non-GAAP adjusted measures for all reported periods appear in the tables to this press release.
Balance Sheet and Liquidity The Company generated $1 million of net cash provided by operating activities (inclusive of $42 million of payments related to the Company’s successful defense of a hostile takeover attempt) and generated adjusted free cash flow of $69 million in second quarter 2024. The Company ended the quarter with a cash balance of
$70 million and approximately $820 million in total liquidity.
The Company’s net debt leverage ratio was 3.5 times at June 30, 2024, the midpoint of the Company’s 3 to 4 times stated target range.
In May 2024, the Company successfully repriced and upsized its outstanding Senior Secured Term Loan B Facility (“Prior Term Loan B”). The new Senior Secured Term Loan B Facility (“New Term Loan B”) has an outstanding principal balance of $1.5 billion, which includes an upsize of $400 million. The facility has an interest rate of SOFR plus 1.75%, representing a 60 basis point reduction to the Prior Term Loan B.
Share Repurchases and Dividends During the second quarter, the Company repurchased approximately 1.8 million shares of its common stock for $131 million. Year-to-date through June 30, the Company repurchased approximately 2.6 million shares of its common stock for $188 million.
The Company paid common stock dividends of $31 million, or $0.38 per share, during the second quarter 2024 and $63 million, or $0.76 per share, year-to-date.
The reduction in RevPAR and fee-related and other revenues reflects a more moderated RevPAR acceleration than previously anticipated. The reduction in adjusted net income represents an increase in interest expense due to the upsizing of the Company’s term loan B. This impact was more than offset in adjusted diluted EPS by second quarter share repurchase activity.
Year-over-year growth rates for adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income and adjusted diluted EPS are not comparable due to full-year 2023 marketing fund revenues exceeding expenses by $9 million, which substantially completed the recovery of the $49 million support the Company provided to its owners during COVID. The Company continues to expect marketing fund revenues to equal expenses during full-year 2024 though seasonality of spend will affect the quarterly comparisons throughout the year.
More detailed projections are available in Table 8 of this press release. The Company is providing certain financial metrics only on a non-GAAP basis because, without unreasonable efforts, it is unable to predict with reasonable certainty the occurrence or amount of all of the adjustments or other potential adjustments that may arise in the future during the forward-looking period, which can be dependent on future events that may not be reliably predicted. Based on past reported results, where one or more of these items have been applicable, such excluded items could be material, individually or in the aggregate, to the reported results.
Conference Call Information Wyndham Hotels will hold a conference call with investors to discuss the Company’s results and outlook on Thursday, July 25, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET. Listeners can access the webcast live through the Company’s website at https://investor.wyndhamhotels.com. The conference call may also be accessed by dialing 800 245-3047 and providing the passcode “Wyndham”. Listeners are urged to call at least five minutes prior to the scheduled start time. An archive of this webcast will be available on the website beginning at noon ET on July 25, 2024. A telephone replay will be available for approximately ten days beginning at noon ET on July 25, 2024 at 800 757-4764.
Presentation of Financial Information Financial information discussed in this press release includes non-GAAP measures, which include or exclude certain items. These non-GAAP measures differ from reported GAAP results and are intended to illustrate what management believes are relevant period-over-period comparisons and are helpful to investors as an additional tool for further understanding and assessing the Company’s ongoing operating performance. The Company uses these measures internally to assess its operating performance, both absolutely and in comparison to other companies, and to make day to day operating decisions, including in the evaluation of selected compensation decisions. Exclusion of items in the Company’s non-GAAP presentation should not be considered an inference that these items are unusual, infrequent or non-recurring. Full reconciliations of GAAP results to the comparable non-GAAP measures for the reported periods appear in the financial tables section of this press release.
About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world’s largest hotel franchising company by the number of properties, with approximately 9,200 hotels across over 95 countries on six continents. Through its network of nearly 885,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 25 hotel brands, including Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Microtel®, La Quinta®, Baymont®, Wingate®, AmericInn®, Hawthorn Suites®, Trademark Collection® and Wyndham®. The Company’s award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty program offers approximately 110 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit https://investor.wyndhamhotels.com. The Company may use its website and social media channels as means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Disclosures of this nature will be included on the Company’s website in the Investors section, which can currently be accessed at https://investor.wyndhamhotels.com or on the Company’s social media channels, including the Company’s LinkedIn account which can currently be accessed at https://www.linkedin.com/company/wyndhamhotels. Accordingly, investors should monitor this section of the Company’s website and the Company’s social media channels in addition to following the Company’s press releases, filings submitted with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any public conference calls or webcasts.
Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements related to Wyndham’s current views and expectations with respect to its future performance and operations, including revenues, earnings, cash flow and other financial and operating measures, share repurchases and dividends and restructuring charges. Forward-looking statements are any statements other than statements of historical fact, including those that convey management’s expectations as to the future based on plans, estimates and projections at the time Wyndham makes the statements and may be identified by words such as “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “predict,” “intend,” “goal,” “future,” “forward,” “remain,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “target,” “objective,” “estimate,” “projection” and similar words or expressions, including the negative version of such words and expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Wyndham to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, general economic conditions, including inflation, higher interest rates and potential recessionary pressures; global or regional health crises or pandemics (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) including the resulting impact on Wyndham’s business, operations, financial results, cash flows and liquidity, as well as the impact on its franchisees, guests and team members, the hospitality industry and overall demand for and restrictions on travel; the performance of the financial and credit markets; the economic environment for the hospitality industry; operating risks associated with the hotel franchising business; Wyndham’s relationships with franchisees; the impact of war, terrorist activity, political instability or political strife, including the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas, respectively; Wyndham’s ability to satisfy obligations and agreements under its outstanding indebtedness, including the payment of principal and interest and compliance with the covenants thereunder; risks related to Wyndham’s ability to obtain financing and the terms of such financing, including access to liquidity and capital; and Wyndham’s ability to make or pay, plans for and the timing and amount of any future share repurchases and/or dividends, as well as the risks described in Wyndham’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks and uncertainties are not the only ones Wyndham may face and additional risks may arise or become material in the future. Wyndham undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward- looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Located just 30 minutes outside Paris, timeless resort has been magnificently restored to showcase its historic buildings, monuments and gardens
LONDON (June 27, 2024) – Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has officially opened the doors to its newest hotel, the luxurious Dolce by Wyndham Versailles – Domaine du Montcel. Nestled in the outskirts of Paris in famed Domaine du Montcel Park, just minutes from the world-renowned Palace of Versailles, the striking 178-room resort sits on a charming estate in the heart of the beautiful Bièvre Valley and opens just as the world prepares to turn its competitive gaze to Paris this summer.
Once the residence of France’s famed Oberkampf-Mallet family in the late 1700’s, the magnificent resort has been fully renovated to preserve its historic buildings, monuments and gardens, the latter of which were originally designed by Madam Oberkampf herself. Despite easy access to both Paris and Paris-Orly Airport—both of which are just 30 minutes by train—guests will feel worlds away from the city the moment they arrive. The hotel is a short walk from the Jouy-en-Josas Train Station.
“Dolce by Wyndham Versailles is a timeless destination, perfect for romantic getaways and special events, facilitating both leisure and corporate travel. The hotel offers breathtaking natural scenery and memorable history-rich experiences, all while providing exceptional service alongside luxurious and modern amenities—an unbeatable combination.”
“Staying at Dolce by Wyndham Versailles unlocks the chance to experience the French art de vivre, which enwraps guests from the moment they arrive and is reflected in every aspect of their stay—from the architecture and design, to the food, service, amenities and more. An ideal escape, it’s the perfect jumping off point for making the most of all that France has to offer.”
– Olivier Bigot, General Manager, Dolce by Wyndham Versailles – Domaine du Montcel
A Luxury Retreat in the Heart of Versailles A symbol of elegance, travellers can now book a stay in the stunning grounds of the upscale Dolce by Wyndham Versailles, which offers 14 hectares of gardens as well as two top-quality restaurants, a bar with a stunning terrace and a fully-equipped spa and wellness centre. Additional amenities include:
Spa du Moncel by Sothys, offering a relaxing range of treatments, as well as a steam room and sauna, a snow cave, sensory showers and a heated indoor and outdoor pool.
Restaurant ‘La Toile’, featuring traditional French cuisine with fine Asian touches.
Restaurant ‘La Manufacture,’ built around an open kitchen concept, ideal for events and set in the historic wing of the château with a modern, eclectic menu.
Bar Le Cèdre, featuring a stunning terrace overlooking the gardens.
A state-of-the-art conference centre with 18 meeting rooms.
The magnificent Baccarat ballroom which is 550 sqm, making it the largest in the region.
Like all Dolce Hotels & Resorts, the property participates in Wyndham Rewards®, Wyndham’s award-winning rewards programme with over 60,000 hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals worldwide. To learn more, or book your next stay, visit DolceHotels.com.
Images associated with the above release are available here.
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About Dolce Hotels and Resorts by Wyndham Inspirational environments foster big ideas. That’s the philosophy behind Dolce Hotels and Resorts by Wyndham®. A curated collection of unique destinations, Dolce redefined modern meetings using creative spaces, state-of-the-art technology, nourishing food and beverage programs and inspired activities. From Colorado Springs to Hanoi, Dolce’s breathtaking locations provide the backdrop to incredible travel experiences. Learn more at www.dolce.com.
About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world’s largest hotel franchising company by the number of properties, with approximately 9,200 hotels across over 95 countries on six continents. Through its network of over 876,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveller, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 25 hotel brands, including Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Microtel®, La Quinta®, Baymont®, Wingate®, AmericInn®, Hawthorn Suites®, Trademark Collection® and Wyndham®. The Company’s award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty programme offers approximately 108 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit www.wyndhamhotels.com.
Dolce by Wyndham Çeşme Alaçatı and two additional hotels open in partnership with DRD Hotels, expanding Wyndham’s portfolio in Türkiye to nearly 120 hotels
ISTANBUL (26th June 2024) – Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,200 hotels in more than 95 countries, announced the opening of the first Dolce hotel in Türkiye, Dolce by Wyndham Çeşme Alaçatı. The hotel, which is joined by the new openings of La Quinta by Wyndham Çeşme and Wyndham Datça Perili Bay, comes as part of an expanded partnership with owner and operator, DRD Hotels, and reinforces Wyndham’s leading presence in the country, which today stands at nearly 120 hotels.
“Introducing Dolce by Wyndham in Türkiye represents a significant milestone in our growth strategy. As the largest international hotel group by the number of open and operating properties in Türkiye, our recent openings in Çeşme and Datça with DRD Hotels demonstrate our dedication to expanding high-quality and upscale hospitality throughout the Turkish Riviera and emerging urban areas. This partnership highlights our commitment to making hotel travel accessible while providing exceptional experiences for our guests.”
A Spectacular Escape Showcasing Turkish Charm Located on the dazzling shores of the Aegean Sea and just 3 kilometers from Çeşme’s popular resort area Alaçatı, Dolce by Wyndham Çeşme Alaçatı features 155 rooms and suites offering beautiful sea and garden views and welcomes its guests with rich amenities including indoor and outdoor pools, a state-of-the-art fitness center and spa area, as well as on-site restaurants offering Mediterranean delicacies.
The remarkable all-inclusive hotel features 500 square meters of event space that can accommodate up to 300 guests, in addition to its private beach and garden which can also be used for weddings and other special events.
With its state-of-the-art meeting spaces, curated cuisine and amenities that enable memorable activities, Dolce by Wyndham is globally renowned as an upscale brand perfect for events and leisure travelers. Dolce by Wyndham’s portfolio includes hotels around the world including Milan, Versailles, Hanoi, Toronto and more.
“Our expanded partnership with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts brings our hotels to even more popular destinations across Türkiye, attracting both domestic and international travelers, by introducing three distinct brands with unique features. Wyndham’s global footprint, best-in-class technology and access to approximately 108 million enrolled Wyndham Rewards members provide us with an exceptional platform to enhance our guests’ experiences and drive our growth. The recent opening in Datça under Wyndham’s namesake brand reinforces our commitment to delivering diverse and top-tier hospitality options.”
– Mr. Süleyman Hakan Aydın, Owner and Chairman, DRD Hotels
A Growing Footprint in a Coveted Destination Wyndham and DRD Hotels first partnered in 2023, with the opening of the popular Ramada by Wyndham Çeşme. With robust tourism growth, a unique blend of cultural heritage, natural beauty and modern attractions, Türkiye is a prime destination for leisure and business travelers.
Türkiye is a strategic priority for Wyndham due to its rising popularity and increased tourism demand. By expanding its presence, Wyndham delivers exceptional value to hotel owners through its comprehensive suite of resources and tools, all part of the Wyndham Advantage. These hotels provide outstanding guest experiences, helping drive both occupancy and revenue, and contribute to Wyndham’s leading presence in a key travel market.
In addition to the first Dolce branded property in Türkiye, the two companies opened two more hotels on the same day:
Discover the charm of Çeşme at the fourth La Quinta by Wyndham in Türkiye, and the first in this popular district. This amenity-rich hotel boasts 75 elegantly designed guest rooms, perfect for both relaxation and productivity. Guests can enjoy a refreshing dip in the outdoor pools, savor delectable cuisine at the on-site restaurant and benefit from the hotel’s prime location near Port Alaçatı Marina, making it an ideal spot for exploring local attractions and the beautiful Aegean coastline. Whether visiting for a tranquil getaway or an exciting adventure, La Quinta by Wyndham Çeşme offers everything guests need for a memorable stay.
Experience unparalleled comfort at the first Wyndham property in the stunning Datça peninsula. Renowned for its lush natural beauty and crystal-clear turquoise waters, this destination is a true gem. The Wyndham Datça Perili Bay features 152 spacious rooms with breathtaking views of its private and Blue Flag certified bay. Located just 17 kilometers from the city center, guests can enjoy serene surroundings while still being close to local attractions. The hotel offers a wealth of amenities, including outdoor pools, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a rejuvenating spa and a relaxing sauna. Dining is an exquisite experience with two on-site restaurants serving a variety of delicious dishes. Whether seeking adventure or relaxation, Wyndham Datça Perili Bay provides a perfect retreat in paradise.
With the openings of Dolce by Wyndham Çeşme Alaçatı, La Quinta by Wyndham Çeşme and Wyndham Datça Perili Bay, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts now boasts nearly 120 open and operating hotels in Türkiye, as well as a development pipeline that includes more than 25 additional hotels in the country.
Wyndham hotels in Türkiye also participate in Wyndham Rewards, the number one hotel rewards program as named by readers of USA Today and U.S. News & World Report. With more than 60,000 hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally, no other hotel rewards program is more generous or offers members more places to stay. Join for free at WyndhamRewards.com.
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About Dolce Hotels and Resorts by Wyndham Inspirational environments foster big ideas. That’s the philosophy behind Dolce Hotels and Resorts by Wyndham®. A curated collection of unique destinations, Dolce redefined modern meetings using creative spaces, state-of-the-art technology, nourishing food and beverage programs and inspired activities. From Colorado Springs to Hanoi, Dolce’s breathtaking locations provide the backdrop to incredible travel experiences. Learn more at www.dolce.com.
About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world’s largest hotel franchising company by the number of properties, with approximately 9,200 hotels across over 95 countries on six continents. Through its network of over 876,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 25 hotel brands, including Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Microtel®, La Quinta®, Baymont®, Wingate®, AmericInn®, Hawthorn®, Trademark Collection® and Wyndham®. The Company’s award-winning Wyndham Rewards® loyalty program offers approximately 108 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit wyndhamhotels.com.
Company Raises Full-Year 2024 EPS Outlook
Grows Development Pipeline by 8% and System Size by 4%
Board Increases Share Repurchase Authorization by $400 Million
PARSIPPANY, N.J. (April 24, 2024) – Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) today announced results for the three months ended March 31, 2024. Highlights include:
• Global RevPAR grew 1% in constant currency and ancillary revenues grew 8% compared to first quarter 2023.
• System-wide rooms grew 4% year-over-year.
• Opened over 13,000 rooms, representing a year-over-year increase of 27%.
• Awarded 171 development contracts, an increase of 8% year-over-year.
• Development pipeline grew 1% sequentially and 8% year-over-year to a record 243,000 rooms.
• Entered upscale extended stay segment through a strategic relationship with WaterWalk Extended Stay by Wyndham.
• Net cash provided by operating activities of $76 million and adjusted free cash flow of $102 million.
• Returned $89 million to shareholders through $57 million of share repurchases and quarterly cash dividends of $0.38 per share.
“We’re thrilled to announce another strong quarter of progress in our executions, openings, franchisee retention and net room growth around the world,” said Geoff Ballotti, president and chief executive officer. “Increased interest from hotel owners in our brands has propelled our development pipeline to a record 243,000 rooms, marking an impressive 8% increase. Our strong balance sheet and cash flow generation capabilities provide significant opportunity to continue to enhance returns to our shareholders over both the short and long-term, as evidenced by our Board of Directors’ approval of a $400 million increase in our share repurchase authorization.”
System Size and Development
The Company’s global system grew 4%, reflecting 1% growth in the U.S. and 8% internationally. As expected, these increases included strong growth in both the higher RevPAR midscale and above segments in the U.S. and the direct franchising business in China, which grew 3% and 13%, respectively. The Company remains solidly on track to achieve its net room growth outlook of 3 to 4% for the full year 2024, including an increase in its retention rate compared to 2023.
On March 31, 2024, the Company’s global development pipeline consisted of nearly 2,000 hotels and approximately 243,000 rooms, representing another record-high level and an 8% year-over-year increase. Key highlights include:
• 15th consecutive quarter of sequential pipeline growth
• 5% growth in the U.S. and 9% internationally
• Approximately 69% of the pipeline is in the midscale and above segments, which grew 4% year-over-year
• Approximately 58% of the pipeline is international
• Approximately 79% of the pipeline is new construction, of which approximately 35% has broken ground
RevPAR
First quarter global RevPAR increased 1% in constant currency compared to 2023, reflecting a 5% decline in the U.S. and growth of 14% internationally.
In the U.S., the Company lapped the most difficult year-over-year comparisons during the first quarter, resulting in a decline of 440 basis points in occupancy and 50 basis points in ADR. Notably, the Company saw improving trends in March with RevPAR improving 240 basis points compared to February. This improvement marks a significant pivot toward growth, preceding the peak leisure travel season.
Internationally, the Company generated year-over-year RevPAR growth for the first quarter in all regions primarily driven by continued pricing power, with ADR up 12% and occupancy up 2%. The largest contributors to first quarter growth were our Latin America and EMEA regions.
First Quarter Operating Results
• Fee-related and other revenues were $304 million compared to $308 million in first quarter 2023, reflecting a decline of $5 million in royalty and franchise fees, partially offset by an 8% increase in ancillary revenue streams. The decline in royalties and franchise fees was primarily driven by the decline in U.S. RevPAR and the lapping of our highest quarter of other franchise fees, partially offset by global net room growth and higher international RevPAR.
• The Company generated net income of $16 million compared to $67 million in first quarter 2023. The decrease primarily reflects transaction-related expenses resulting from the unsuccessful hostile takeover attempt by Choice Hotels, an impairment charge primarily related to development advance notes and higher interest expense.
• Adjusted EBITDA was $141 million compared to $147 million in first quarter 2023. This decrease included a $10 million unfavorable impact from marketing fund variability, excluding which adjusted EBITDA grew 3% primarily reflecting favorable timing of expenses to better match revenue seasonality.
• Diluted earnings per share was $0.19 compared to $0.77 in first quarter 2023. This decrease reflects lower net income, partially offset by the benefit of a lower share count due to share repurchase activity.
• Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.78 compared to $0.86 in first quarter 2023. This decrease included $0.09 per share related to expected marketing fund variability (after estimated taxes). On a comparable basis, adjusted diluted EPS increased 1% year-over-year as comparable adjusted EBITDA growth and the benefit of share repurchase activity were largely offset by higher interest expense.
• During first quarter 2024, the Company’s marketing fund expenses exceeded revenues by $14 million, in line with expectations; while in first quarter 2023, the Company’s marketing fund expenses exceeded revenues by $4 million, resulting in $10 million of marketing fund variability. The Company continues to expect marketing fund revenues to equal expenses during full-year 2024.
Full reconciliations of GAAP results to the Company’s non-GAAP adjusted measures for all reported periods appear in the tables to this press release.
Balance Sheet and Liquidity The Company generated $76 million of net cash provided by operating activities and adjusted free cash flow of $102 million in first quarter 2024. The Company ended the quarter with a cash balance of $50 million and over $580 million in total liquidity.
The Company’s net debt leverage ratio was 3.4 times at March 31, 2024, within the lower half of the Company’s 3 to 4 times stated target range.
During the first quarter of 2024, the Company executed $275 million of new forward starting interest rate swaps on its Term Loan B Facility, which will begin in fourth quarter 2024 and expire in 2027. The fixed rate of the new swaps is 3.4%. As a result, nearly all the Company’s Term Loan B Facility now has a fixed rate through the end of 2027.
Share Repurchases and Dividends During the first quarter, the Company repurchased approximately 719,000 shares of its common stock for $57 million. The Company’s Board of Directors recently increased the Company’s share repurchase authorization by $400 million.
The Company paid common stock dividends of $32 million, or $0.38 per share, during first quarter 2024.
Full-Year 2024 Outlook The Company is updating its outlook as follows to reflect the impact of first quarter share repurchase activity:
Year-over-year growth rates for adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income and adjusted diluted EPS are not comparable due to full-year 2023 marketing fund revenues exceeding expenses by $9 million, which substantially completed the recovery of the $49 million support the Company provided to its owners during COVID. The Company continues to expect marketing fund revenues to equal expenses during full-year 2024 though seasonality of spend will affect the quarterly comparisons throughout the year.
More detailed projections are available in Table 8 of this press release. The Company is providing certain financial metrics only on a non-GAAP basis because, without unreasonable efforts, it is unable to predict with reasonable certainty the occurrence or amount of all of the adjustments or other potential adjustments that may arise in the future during the forward-looking period, which can be dependent on future events that may not be reliably predicted. Based on past reported results, where one or more of these items have been applicable, such excluded items could be material, individually or in the aggregate, to the reported results.
Conference Call Information Wyndham Hotels will hold a conference call with investors to discuss the Company’s results and outlook on Thursday, April 25, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET. Listeners can access the webcast live through the Company’s website at https://investor.wyndhamhotels.com. The conference call may also be accessed by dialing 800 225-9448 and providing the passcode “Wyndham”. Listeners are urged to call at least five minutes prior to the scheduled start time. An archive of this webcast will be available on the website beginning at noon ET on April 25, 2024. A telephone replay will be available for approximately ten days beginning at noon ET on April 25, 2024 at 800 839-8531.
Presentation of Financial Information Financial information discussed in this press release includes non-GAAP measures, which include or exclude certain items. These non-GAAP measures differ from reported GAAP results and are intended to illustrate what management believes are relevant period-over-period comparisons and are helpful to investors as an additional tool for further understanding and assessing the Company’s ongoing operating performance. The Company uses these measures internally to assess its operating performance, both absolutely and in comparison to other companies, and to make day to day operating decisions, including in the evaluation of selected compensation decisions. Exclusion of items in the Company’s non-GAAP presentation should not be considered an inference that these items are unusual, infrequent or non-recurring. Full reconciliations of GAAP results to the comparable non-GAAP measures for the reported periods appear in the financial tables section of this press release.
About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world’s largest hotel franchising company by the number of properties, with approximately 9,200 hotels across over 95 countries on six continents. Through its network of over 876,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 25 hotel brands, including Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Microtel®, La Quinta®, Baymont®, Wingate®, AmericInn®, Hawthorn Suites®, Trademark Collection® and Wyndham®. The Company’s award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty program offers approximately 108 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit https://investor.wyndhamhotels.com. The Company may use its website and social media channels as means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Disclosures of this nature will be included on the Company’s website in the Investors section, which can currently be accessed at https://investor.wyndhamhotels.com or on the Company’s social media channels, including the Company’s LinkedIn account which can currently be accessed at https://www.linkedin.com/company/wyndhamhotels. Accordingly, investors should monitor this section of the Company’s website and the Company’s social media channels in addition to following the Company’s press releases, filings submitted with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any public conference calls or webcasts.
Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements related to Wyndham’s current views and expectations with respect to its future performance and operations, including revenues, earnings, cash flow and other financial and operating measures, share repurchases and dividends and restructuring charges. All statements other than historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include those that convey management’s expectations as to the future based on plans, estimates and projections at the time Wyndham makes the statements and may be identified by words such as “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “predict,” “intend,” “goal,” “future,” “forward,” “remain,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “target,” “objective,” “estimate,” “projection” and similar words or expressions, including the negative version of such words and expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Wyndham to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, general economic conditions, including inflation, higher interest rates and potential recessionary pressures; global or regional health crises or pandemics (such as the COVID19 pandemic) including the resulting impact on Wyndham’s business, operations, financial results, cash flows and liquidity, as well as the impact on its franchisees, guests and team members, the hospitality industry and overall demand for and restrictions on travel; the performance of the financial and credit markets; the economic environment for the hospitality industry; operating risks associated with the hotel franchising business; Wyndham’s relationships with franchisees; the impact of war, terrorist activity, political instability or political strife, including the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas, respectively; Wyndham’s ability to satisfy obligations and agreements under its outstanding indebtedness, including the payment of principal and interest and compliance with the covenants thereunder; risks related to Wyndham’s ability to obtain financing and the terms of such financing, including access to liquidity and capital; and Wyndham’s ability to make or pay, plans for and the timing and amount of any future share repurchases and/or dividends, as well as the risks described in Wyndham’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks and uncertainties are not the only ones Wyndham may face and additional risks may arise or become material in the future. Wyndham undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Industry veteran to lead Wyndham’s newly unified, technology-driven commercial organization
PARSIPPANY, N.J. (April 9, 2024) – Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) appointed Scott Strickland Chief Commercial Officer reporting to the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Ballotti. In this newly created leadership role, Strickland and his team will continue delivering the best value and experiences to Wyndham’s owners and guests across its 25 brands through a united commercial organization.
“Over 7 years ago we recruited Scott from the private equity world where he led the information systems, eCommerce and business transformation teams at many great companies including D+M Holdings, Nissan, and Black & Decker. Under Scott’s thoughtful and strategic guidance – including managing and deploying our $275M investment in best-in-class technology, digital, and franchisee opt-in services over the past five years – Wyndham has taken a leadership position and delivered multiple industry innovations for its owners,” said Ballotti. “In this new role, Scott and his expanded team will continue to build our brands, drive direct revenue, and advance our value proposition through a newly combined, tech-forward commercial organization.”
As Chief Commercial Officer, Strickland continues his responsibilities for enhancing and implementing Wyndham’s technology and distribution strategy and will add oversight of global sales; revenue generation; marketing; communications and the award-winning loyalty program, Wyndham Rewards.
“Combining this group of cross-functional leaders enables us to continue delivering owner-first tools, technology and marketing innovations,” said Strickland. “These tools allow our franchisees to run their hotels more efficiently and profitably today and into the future. Integrating best-in-class technology, marketing, and sales teams into a single organization enhances the Wyndham Advantage.”
With the creation of this new organization, Lisa Checchio, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer, will depart Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. During her tenure Lisa launched the Company’s “by Wyndham” endorsement strategy, played a large role in the introduction of new hotel brands, and grew Wyndham Rewards – the award-winning loyalty program, which doubled in size in five years and has surpassed 100 million members. Lisa also led the creation of the industry’s first-ever program dedicated to women’s advancement in hotel ownership, Women Own the Room, which recently celebrated 15 open hotels, more than 50 signings, and a community of more than 550 members.
“Lisa’s leadership and expertise spanning marketing, consumer engagement, digital commerce, global sales, and more has helped us better fulfill Wyndham’s mission to make hotel travel possible for all,” said Ballotti. “We are grateful for her significant contributions to Wyndham and the broader hotel industry and will miss her many talents.”
Images associated with the above release can be downloaded here.
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About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world’s largest hotel franchising company by the number of properties, with approximately 9,200 hotels across over 95 countries on six continents. Through its network of approximately 872,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 25 hotel brands, including Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Microtel®, La Quinta®, Baymont®, Wingate®, AmericInn®, Hawthorn®, Trademark Collection® and Wyndham®. The Company’s award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty program offers over 106 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit www.wyndhamhotels.com.
PARSIPPANY, N.J. (March 11, 2024) – Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) (“Wyndham” or the “Company”) today commented on the expiration of Choice Hotels International, Inc.’s (NYSE: CHH) (“Choice”) exchange offer and its decision to withdraw its slate of nominees for election to Wyndham’s Board of Directors at the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders:
“The Wyndham Board is pleased that Choice has ended its hostile pursuit and proxy contest, following the expiration of its unsolicited exchange offer,” said Stephen P. Holmes, Chairman of the Board. “We are confident in Wyndham’s standalone strategy and growth prospects under the leadership of our proven management team. The Board remains committed to acting in the best interests of our shareholders and driving superior long-term value creation.”
Geoff Ballotti, President and Chief Executive Officer, added, “Wyndham is focused on moving ahead with the execution of our strategic plan, building on our success and generating meaningful value. We look forward to doing so without the unnecessary distraction of this situation and disruption to our business. We would like to thank our shareholders and franchisees for their continued support and our team members for their dedication and focus throughout this process.”
About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world’s largest hotel franchising company by the number of properties, with approximately 9,200 hotels across over 95 countries on six continents. Through its network of approximately 872,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 24 hotel brands, including Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Microtel®, La Quinta®, Baymont®, Wingate®, AmericInn®, Hawthorn Suites®, Trademark Collection® and Wyndham®. The Company’s award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty program offers over 106 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit https://investor.wyndhamhotels.com. The Company may use its website as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Disclosures of this nature will be included on the Company’s website in the Investors section, which can currently be accessed at www.investor.wyndhamhotels.com. Accordingly, investors should monitor this section of the Company’s website in addition to following the Company’s press releases, filings submitted with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any public conference calls or webcasts.
Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements either contained in or incorporated by reference into this communication, other than purely historical information, and assumptions upon which those statements are based, are “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements include those that convey management’s expectations as to the future based on plans, estimates and projections at the time Wyndham makes the statements and may be identified by words such as “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “goal,” “future,” “forward,” “remain,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “target,” “objective,” “estimate,” “projection” and similar words or expressions, including the negative version of such words and expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Wyndham to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of hereof.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, factors relating to the expired unsolicited exchange offer by Choice Hotels International, Inc. to acquire all outstanding shares of our common stock and any ongoing cost, loss of time and disruption associated therewith; general economic conditions, including inflation, higher interest rates and potential recessionary pressures; global or regional health crises or pandemics (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) including the resulting impact on the Company’s business operations, financial results, cash flows and liquidity, as well as the impact on its franchisees, guests and team members, the hospitality industry and overall demand for and restrictions on travel; the performance of the financial and credit markets; the economic environment for the hospitality industry; operating risks associated with the hotel franchising business; the Company’s relationships with franchisees; the impact of war, terrorist activity, political instability or political strife, including the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas; the Company’s ability to satisfy obligations and agreements under its outstanding indebtedness, including the payment of principal and interest and compliance with the covenants thereunder; risks related to the Company’s ability to obtain financing and the terms of such financing, including access to liquidity and capital; and the Company’s ability to make or pay, plans for and the timing and amount of any future share repurchases and/or dividends, as well as the risks described in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Urges Shareholders to Protect Their Investment and the Future of Wyndham by Supporting Only Wyndham’s Eight Highly-Qualified Director Nominees
Encourages Shareholders to Visit StayWyndham.com for More Information
PARSIPPANY, N.J. (March 11, 2024) – The Board of Directors of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) (“Wyndham” or the “Company”), the world’s largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,200 hotels spanning more than 95 countries, sent a letter to shareholders urging them to protect their investment and the future of Wyndham by supporting only Wyndham’s eight highly-qualified Director nominees and not the nominees from Choice Hotels International (NYSE: CHH) (“Choice”).
Wyndham has a clear path to deliver shareholder value substantially in excess of Choice’s inadequate and uncertain offer. Wyndham’s Board has evaluated Choice’s proposal carefully and in its entirety. The Board has been explicitly clear that in order to make a proposal viable for shareholders, Choice must adequately address the three key issues Wyndham has repeatedly raised: insufficient valuation, unattractive consideration mix and asymmetrical regulatory risk. Despite the Company’s efforts to engage with Choice, Choice has demonstrated that it is unable, or simply unwilling, to propose a complete offer package addressing these three issues.
Wyndham’s Board believes all eight of its nominees are more qualified with the right mix of skills and highly relevant expertise – including decades of hotel franchising, international business and public company operating experience – to oversee the successful execution of Wyndham’s global strategy and deliver the most value to shareholders. The Board’s Corporate Governance Committee, comprised solely of Independent Directors, conducted interviews with each of Choice’s eight nominees and determined that they lack the skills, expertise and background in key areas critical to Wyndham’s business and have been hand-picked by Choice with the sole objective of selling Wyndham for far less than the Company is worth.
The Company’s definitive proxy materials will be filed and mailed soon, including the WHITE proxy card with instructions for how to vote. Your vote FOR ONLY Wyndham’s eight highly-qualified Director nominees on the WHITE proxy card will be critical for our upcoming 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Wyndham’s Board also urges shareholders to discard any materials or blue proxy card they may receive from Choice. The letter to shareholders and other important information related to Wyndham’s Annual Meeting can be found at https://www.staywyndham.com.
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and PJT Partners are serving as financial advisors and Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP are legal advisors to Wyndham.
About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world’s largest hotel franchising company by the number of properties, with approximately 9,200 hotels across over 95 countries on six continents. Through its network of approximately 872,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 24 hotel brands, including Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Microtel®, La Quinta®, Baymont®, Wingate®, AmericInn®, Hawthorn Suites®, Trademark Collection® and Wyndham®. The Company’s award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty program offers over 106 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit https://investor.wyndhamhotels.com. The Company may use its website as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Disclosures of this nature will be included on the Company’s website in the Investors section, which can currently be accessed at www.investor.wyndhamhotels.com. Accordingly, investors should monitor this section of the Company’s website in addition to following the Company’s press releases, filings submitted with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any public conference calls or webcasts.
Important Additional Information This press release is not an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (“Wyndham” or the “Company”) has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9. The Company has mailed the solicitation/recommendation statement filed by the Company to Company stockholders. COMPANY STOCKHOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ THE COMPANY’S SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT ON SCHEDULE 14D-9 AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISION WITH RESPECT TO ANY EXCHANGE OFFER BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Company stockholders may obtain a copy of the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9, as well as any other documents filed by the Company in connection with any exchange offer by Choice Hotels International, Inc. or one of its affiliates, free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of these documents from the Company by directing a request to Matt Capuzzi, Senior Vice President, Investor Relations at [email protected] or by calling 973.753.6453.
The Company filed a preliminary proxy statement and accompanying form of WHITE proxy card with the SEC on February 26, 2024 (as amended on March 11, 2024, the “Preliminary Proxy Statement”), with respect to the Company’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “2024 Annual Meeting”). The Company will file and mail a definitive proxy statement (the “Proxy Statement”) and accompanying WHITE proxy card to stockholders of the Company. The Company’s stockholders are strongly encouraged to read the Proxy Statement (including any amendments or supplements thereto) and the accompanying WHITE proxy card as well as other documents the Company files with the SEC carefully in their entirety because they will contain important information. The Company’s stockholders may obtain copies of the Proxy Statement, any amendments or supplements to the Proxy Statement and other documents filed by the Company with the SEC free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies will also be available free of charge at the Company’s website at https://investor.wyndhamhotels.com.
Certain Information Concerning Participants Wyndham and certain of its directors and executive officers will be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Wyndham stockholders by and on behalf of its Board in connection with the matters to be considered at the 2024 Annual Meeting. Information regarding the Company’s directors and executive officers and their respective interests in the Company by security holdings or otherwise is available in its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 15, 2024, and the Preliminary Proxy Statement filed with the SEC on February 26, 2024 (and amended on March 11, 2024). To the extent holdings of the Company’s securities reported in the Preliminary Proxy Statement have changed, such changes have been or will be reflected in the Proxy Statement and on Statements of Change in Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above.
Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements either contained in or incorporated by reference into this communication, other than purely historical information, and assumptions upon which those statements are based, are “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements include those that convey management’s expectations as to the future based on plans, estimates and projections at the time Wyndham makes the statements and may be identified by words such as “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “goal,” “future,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “target,” “objective,” “estimate,” “projection” and similar words or expressions, including the negative version of such words and expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Wyndham to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of hereof.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, factors relating to the unsolicited exchange offer by Choice Hotels International, Inc. (“Choice”) to acquire all outstanding shares of our common stock (the “Exchange Offer”), including actions taken by Choice in connection with such offer, actions taken by Wyndham or its stockholders in respect of the Exchange Offer or other actions or developments involving Choice, such as a potential proxy contest, the completion or failure to complete the Exchange Offer, the effects of such offer on our business, such as the cost, loss of time and disruption; general economic conditions, including inflation, higher interest rates and potential recessionary pressures; global or regional health crises or pandemics (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) including the resulting impact on the Company’s business operations, financial results, cash flows and liquidity, as well as the impact on its franchisees, guests and team members, the hospitality industry and overall demand for and restrictions on travel; the performance of the financial and credit markets; the economic environment for the hospitality industry; operating risks associated with the hotel franchising business; the Company’s relationships with franchisees; the impact of war, terrorist activity, political instability or political strife, including the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas; the Company’s ability to satisfy obligations and agreements under its outstanding indebtedness, including the payment of principal and interest and compliance with the covenants thereunder; risks related to the Company’s ability to obtain financing and the terms of such financing, including access to liquidity and capital; and the Company’s ability to make or pay, plans for and the timing and amount of any future share repurchases and/or dividends, as well as the risks described in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Increases Quarterly Dividend by 9%; Reiterates Full-Year 2024 Outlook
PARSIPPANY, N.J. (February 14, 2024) – Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) today announced results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2023. Highlights include:
System-wide rooms grew organically by 3.5% year-over-year, a record high.
Opened a record 66,000 organic rooms, representing a year-over-year increase of 3%.
Global retention rate – including all terminations – improved another 30 basis points to a record 95.6%.
Development pipeline grew 1% sequentially and by 10% year-over-year to a record 240,000 rooms.
Grew ECHO Suites pipeline nearly 60% year-over-year with 98 new contract signings.
Signed 766 contracts for legacy brands, an increase of 8% year-over-year.
Fourth quarter diluted earnings per share of $0.60 and net income of $50 million; adjusted diluted EPS of $0.91, adjusted net income of $75 million and adjusted EBITDA of $154 million.
Full-year 2023 diluted EPS of $3.41 and net income of $289 million; adjusted diluted EPS of $4.01, adjusted net income of $341 million and adjusted EBITDA of $659 million.
Net cash provided by operating activities of $376 million and free cash flow of $339 million for the full-year.
Returned $515 million to shareholders for the full-year through $397 million of share repurchases and quarterly cash dividends of $0.35 per share.
Board of Directors recently authorized a 9% increase in the quarterly cash dividend to $0.38 per share beginning with the dividend expected to be declared in first quarter 2024.
“We are tremendously proud to report fourth quarter results that demonstrate the continued success of our global strategy and our accelerating momentum,” said Geoff Ballotti, president and chief executive officer. “Despite the distraction, uncertainty and misperceptions caused by Choice and their slanted and constant communications to our franchisee base, room openings accelerated and our global development pipeline grew by 10% to an all-time high of 240,000 rooms. Our team opened 27% more rooms than last year in the fourth quarter and we welcomed 500 new hotels to our system in 2023. This, when combined with our improving franchisee engagement and record retention rate, drove the best organic system growth we’ve ever achieved. We grew comparable adjusted EBITDA by 6% and returned over half a billion dollars to our shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. We are confident in the continued effectiveness of our growth strategy and see exceptional value-creation opportunities in the years ahead.”
System Size and Development
The Company’s global system grew 3.5%, marking 12 consecutive quarters of organic growth and reflecting 1% growth in the U.S. and 7% internationally. As expected, these increases included strong growth in both the higher RevPAR midscale and above segments in the U.S. and the direct franchising business in China, which grew 3% and 13%, respectively. The Company also increased its retention rate, which includes all terminations, by another 30 basis points year-over-year, ending the year at a record 95.6%.
On December 31, 2023, the Company’s global development pipeline consisted of over 1,950 hotels and approximately 240,000 rooms, representing another record-high level and a 10% year-over-year increase. Key highlights include:
14th consecutive quarter of sequential pipeline growth
8% growth in the U.S. and 11% internationally
Approximately 70% of the pipeline is in the midscale and above segments, which grew 6% year-over-year
Approximately 58% of the pipeline is international
Approximately 79% of the pipeline is new construction, of which approximately 34% has broken ground
The Company awarded 766 new contracts for its legacy brands in full-year 2023, an increase of 8% compared to full-year 2022. Additionally, the Company awarded 98 additional new contracts for its ECHO Suites brand and, as of December 31, 2023, the Company had awarded 268 contracts, or over 33,000 rooms, for the brand.
RevPAR
Fourth quarter global RevPAR declined 1% in constant currency compared to 2022 reflecting a 4% decline in the U.S. and growth of 7% internationally. For the full year, global RevPAR grew 5% in constant currency compared to 2022 reflecting a 1% decline in the U.S. and growth of 21% internationally.
The Company had achieved record-breaking RevPAR in the U.S. during the preceding year due to COVID-impacted travel patterns. Comparing to 2019 to neutralize for COVID-impacted travel patterns, U.S. RevPAR grew 10% in fourth quarter – a 120 basis point acceleration from third quarter 2023 growth – and 9% for the full year. Internationally, year-over-year RevPAR growth for both the fourth quarter and the full-year was primarily driven by higher occupancy levels. Compared to 2019, international RevPAR grew in fourth quarter and full-year by 44% and 36%, respectively, on a constant-currency basis.
Operating Results
Fourth Quarter
Fee-related and other revenues was $320 million compared to $310 million in fourth quarter 2022 reflecting global net room growth as well as higher license and ancillary fees.
The Company generated net income of $50 million compared to $56 million in fourth quarter 2022. The decrease was reflective of a higher effective tax rate, higher interest expense, foreign currency impact from hyper-inflation in Argentina and transaction-related expenses resulting from the unsolicited offer by Choice Hotels, partially offset by higher adjusted EBITDA.
Adjusted EBITDA grew 22% to $154 million from $126 million. This increase included a $21 million favorable impact from marketing fund variability, excluding which adjusted EBITDA grew 6% primarily reflecting higher fee-related and other revenues.
Diluted earnings per share was $0.60 compared to $0.63 in fourth quarter 2022. This decrease reflects lower net income, partially offset by the benefit of a lower share count due to share repurchase activity.
Adjusted diluted EPS grew 26% to $0.91 per share from $0.72 per share. This increase included $0.19 per share related to the favorable marketing fund variability (after estimated taxes), excluding which adjusted diluted EPS was unchanged year-over-year as adjusted EBITDA growth and the benefit from share repurchase activity was substantially offset by higher interest expense.
During fourth quarter 2023, the Company’s marketing fund revenues exceeded expenses by $9 million; while in fourth quarter 2022, the Company’s marketing fund expenses exceeded revenues by $12 million, resulting in $21 million of marketing fund variability.
Full Year
Fee-related and other revenues was $1,384 million compared to $1,354 million in full-year 2022, which included $50 million from the Company’s select service management business and owned hotels, which were exited in 2022. On a comparable basis, fee-related and other revenues increased 6% year-over-year primarily reflecting global RevPAR and net room growth, higher license and ancillary fees and pass-through revenues associated with the Company’s global franchisee conference in September, which was held for the first time since 2019.
The Company generated net income of $289 million compared to $355 million in full-year 2022, which included $37 million from the select-service managed and owned hotels. The decrease was reflective of a higher effective tax rate, higher interest expense, foreign currency impact from hyper-inflation in Argentina and transaction-related expenses resulting from the unsolicited offer by Choice Hotels, partially offset by higher adjusted EBITDA.
Adjusted EBITDA was $659 million compared to $650 million in full-year 2022, which included $18 million from the select-service managed and owned hotels. The growth in adjusted EBITDA was further impacted by $11 million of unfavorable marketing fund variability. On a comparable basis, adjusted EBITDA increased 6% reflecting higher fee-related and other revenues.
Diluted earnings per share was $3.41 compared to $3.91 in full-year 2022, which included $0.40 per share from the select-service managed and owned hotels. This decrease reflects the lower net income, partially offset by the benefit of a lower share count due to share repurchase activity.
Adjusted diluted EPS was $4.01 per share compared to $3.96 per share in full-year 2022, which included $0.15 per share from the select-service managed and owned hotels. This growth in adjusted diluted EPS was further impacted by $0.09 per share (after estimated taxes) of unfavorable marketing fund variability. On a comparable basis, adjusted diluted EPS increased 8% year-over-year reflecting the adjusted EBITDA growth and the benefit from share repurchase activity, partially offset by higher interest expense.
During full-year 2023, the Company’s marketing fund revenues exceeded expenses by $9 million; while in 2022, the Company’s marketing fund revenues exceeded expenses by $20 million, resulting in $11 million of marketing fund variability.
Full reconciliations of GAAP results to the Company’s non-GAAP adjusted measures for all reported periods appear in the tables to this press release.
Balance Sheet and Liquidity
The Company generated $376 million of net cash provided by operating activities and free cash flow of $339 million in the full-year 2023. The Company ended the quarter with a cash balance of $66 million and approximately $650 million in total liquidity.
The Company’s net debt leverage ratio was 3.2 times at December 31, 2023, within the lower half of the Company’s 3 to 4 times stated target range.
Share Repurchases and Dividends
During the fourth quarter, the Company repurchased approximately 1.7 million shares of its common stock for $127 million. For the full-year 2023, the Company repurchased approximately 5.5 million shares of its common stock for $397 million, at an average price of $72.25, 8% lower than trading levels as of February 13th.
The Company paid common stock dividends of $28 million, or $0.35 per share, in the fourth quarter of 2023 for a total of $118 million, or $1.40 per share, for the full-year 2023.
For the full-year 2023, the Company returned $515 million to shareholders through share repurchases and quarterly cash dividends.
The Company’s Board of Directors authorized a 9% increase in the quarterly cash dividend to $0.38 per share, beginning with the dividend expected to be declared in first quarter 2024.
Full-Year 2024 Outlook
The Company provided the following outlook for full-year 2024:
Year-over-year growth rates for adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income and adjusted diluted EPS are not comparable due to full-year 2023 marketing fund revenues exceeding expenses by $9 million, which substantially completed the recovery of the $49 million support the Company provided to its owners during COVID. The Company expects marketing revenues to equal expenses during full-year 2024 though seasonality of spend will affect the quarterly comparisons throughout the year.
More detailed projections are available in Table 8 of this press release. The Company is providing certain financial metrics only on a non-GAAP basis because, without unreasonable efforts, it is unable to predict with reasonable certainty the occurrence or amount of all of the adjustments or other potential adjustments that may arise in the future during the forward-looking period, which can be dependent on future events that may not be reliably predicted. Based on past reported results, where one or more of these items have been applicable, such excluded items could be material, individually or in the aggregate, to the reported results.
Conference Call Information Wyndham Hotels will hold a conference call with investors to discuss the Company’s results and outlook on Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET. Listeners can access the webcast live through the Company’s website at https://investor.wyndhamhotels.com. The conference call may also be accessed by dialing 800 225-9448 and providing the passcode “Wyndham”. Listeners are urged to call at least five minutes prior to the scheduled start time. An archive of this webcast will be available on the website beginning at noon ET on February 15, 2024. A telephone replay will be available for approximately ten days beginning at noon ET on February 15, 2024 at 800 839-9719.
Presentation of Financial Information Financial information discussed in this press release includes non-GAAP measures, which include or exclude certain items. These non-GAAP measures differ from reported GAAP results and are intended to illustrate what management believes are relevant period-over-period comparisons and are helpful to investors as an additional tool for further understanding and assessing the Company’s ongoing operating performance. The Company uses these measures internally to assess its operating performance, both absolutely and in comparison to other companies, and to make day to day operating decisions, including in the evaluation of selected compensation decisions. Exclusion of items in the Company’s non-GAAP presentation should not be considered an inference that these items are unusual, infrequent or non-recurring. Full reconciliations of GAAP results to the comparable non-GAAP measures for the reported periods appear in the financial tables section of this press release.
About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world’s largest hotel franchising company by the number of properties, with approximately 9,200 hotels across over 95 countries on six continents. Through its network of approximately 872,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 24 hotel brands, including Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Microtel®, La Quinta®, Baymont®, Wingate®, AmericInn®, Hawthorn Suites®, Trademark Collection® and Wyndham®. The Company’s award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty program offers over 106 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit https://investor.wyndhamhotels.com. The Company may use its website as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Disclosures of this nature will be included on the Company’s website in the Investors section, which can currently be accessed at www.investor.wyndhamhotels.com. Accordingly, investors should monitor this section of the Company’s website in addition to following the Company’s press releases, filings submitted with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any public conference calls or webcasts.
For information related to Choice Hotels’ hostile offer, please visit www.staywyndham.com.
Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements related to the Company’s current views and expectations with respect to its future performance and operations, including revenues, earnings, cash flow and other financial and operating measures, share repurchases and dividends and restructuring charges. The Company claims the protection of the Safe Harbor contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for forward-looking statements (other than with respect to statements made in connection with the unsolicited exchange offer by Choice to acquire all outstanding shares of our common stock (the “Exchange Offer”)). Forward-looking statements include those that convey management’s expectations as to the future based on plans, estimates and projections at the time the Company makes the statements and may be identified by words such as “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “goal,” “future,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “target,” “objective,” “estimate,” “projection” and similar words or expressions, including the negative version of such words and expressions. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, factors relating to the Exchange Offer, including actions taken by Choice in connection with such offer, actions taken by Wyndham or its stockholders in respect of the Exchange Offer or other actions or developments involving Choice, such as a potential proxy contest, the completion or failure to complete the Exchange Offer, the effects of such offer on our business, such as the cost, loss of time and disruption; general economic conditions, including inflation, higher interest rates and potential recessionary pressures; global or regional health crises or pandemics (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) including the resulting impact on the Company’s business operations, financial results, cash flows and liquidity, as well as the impact on its franchisees, guests and team members, the hospitality industry and overall demand for and restrictions on travel; the performance of the financial and credit markets; the economic environment for the hospitality industry; operating risks associated with the hotel franchising business; the Company’s relationships with franchisees; the impact of war, terrorist activity, political instability or political strife, including the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas; the Company’s ability to satisfy obligations and agreements under its outstanding indebtedness, including the payment of principal and interest and compliance with the covenants thereunder; risks related to the Company’s ability to obtain financing and the terms of such financing, including access to liquidity and capital; and the Company’s ability to make or pay, plans for and the timing and amount of any future share repurchases and/or dividends, as well as the risks described in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise, except as required by law.
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