Global Conference 2025 Highlights Wyndham’s Growth and Sustainability Initiatives
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts recently held its Global Conference 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada, where over 6,000 attendees, including hotel owners, suppliers, and executives from around the world, gathered to share, innovate, and celebrate a historic year for the company. The event, under the theme “Together, we’re going places,” showcased new strategies and results shaping the future of the world’s largest hotel franchise.
Latin America and the Caribbean: A Key Focus
A significant focus of the conference was Latin America and the Caribbean, a region experiencing unprecedented growth. In the last 18 months, Wyndham added more than 7,200 rooms (nearly 10% of its regional inventory), solidifying its presence in new tourist destinations like Barbados, Aruba, and Antigua. The company has strengthened its position in 27 out of the 35 countries in the Americas.
The event brought together over 60 hotel owners from 12 Latin American and Caribbean countries, including Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, and Barbados.
Key Growth Markets
Gustavo Viescas, President of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts for Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighted Mexico, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic as the primary growth drivers in his region, which comprises more than 90 properties.
“We’re not just growing in numbers; we’re growing with purpose,” Viescas stated. He emphasized the increasing connection between the region and the US market, generating opportunities for destinations and strengthening the value of Wyndham Rewards, with over 115 million global members.
Notable Projects
Among the highlighted projects, Viescas mentioned TRYP by Wyndham Punta Cana, recognized as the world’s first hotel built with 100% recycled steel and operating on renewable energy, reinforcing Wyndham’s commitment to sustainability.
Global Strategy
Geoff Ballotti, President and CEO Global, emphasized empowering franchisees under the OwnerFirst™ strategy, focusing on profitability through technology, marketing, loyalty, and purchasing improvements.
Technological Innovations
Ballotti introduced several technological innovations designed to enhance franchisee profitability and improve guest experiences. Notable launches include Wyndham Connect PLUS, an AI-powered platform automating key guest interactions through text messaging, voice assistance, and self-check-in options, optimizing hotel staff resources.
Wyndham also unveiled Wyndham Gateway, a new Wi-Fi portal offering centralized connection experiences, eliminating barriers to loyalty program enrollment, and opening new revenue streams through improved connectivity upgrades.
Wyndham is also focusing on operational efficiency with Wyndham Marketplace, a preferred purchasing platform for hoteliers, and Wyndham PriceIQ, simplifying approved product searches and acquisitions. In partnership with sbe and its Everybody Eats solution, Wyndham enables franchisees to offer high-level culinary proposals without complex infrastructure.
In insurance, Wyndham collaborated with HUB International to provide customized policies enhancing coverage and reducing costs. In loyalty, Wyndham Rewards evolved with “Wyndham Rewards Experiences,” allowing members to redeem points for unique experiences in sports, music, and gastronomy, along with rewards at Applebee’s. The company will also modify its redemption refund scheme, incorporating guest satisfaction as a key metric.
Academia
Attendees participated in workshops on digital transformation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, operational optimization, loyalty program innovations, and marketing experiences. They also held one-on-one meetings with Wyndham executives to explore conversions of independent hotels to the group’s new brands.
Investments
Since its IPO in 2018, Wyndham has invested over $350 million in technology, building a digital solutions ecosystem that enhances operational efficiency and guest experiences. This technological commitment has been crucial for the company’s sustained expansion and brand positioning in the economy and midscale hospitality market segments.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under ticker WH, operates approximately 9,300 hotels in over 95 countries, managing nearly 907,000 rooms across 25 distinct brands, including iconic names like Super 8®, Ramada®, La Quinta®, Days Inn®, and Wyndham®.
