Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ initiative for women hotel owners has achieved a milestone, following 15 hotel openings and over 50 signings in just over 24 months.
The Women Own the Room initiative has seen its existing and prospective women owners rising to over 550. The initiative leverages Wyndham’s scale and influence to overcome the obstacles women face on their journey to hotel ownership.
Since it was launched in early 2022, the program has led to the signing of over 50 hotels totaling more than 4,000 rooms in the U.S. and Canada. Currently, there are 16 open hotels under brands, such as Days Inn, Baymont, Wyndham and Trademark, in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, Georgia, Virginia and more.
Another five to 10 properties are expected to open in the next 12 months.
Women Own the Room was designed and curated to offer comprehensive financial solutions, customized operational support and a community which fosters networking and education.
According to data from U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Castell Project, although women constitute about 60% of the work force in hospitality, they hold only one leadership position for every 10 men.
The hotel industry has been complacent about permitting women to remain on the sidelines of hotel ownership and, therefore, has missed out on the opportunity to strengthen itself through more diversity, said Galen Barrett, VP, Strategic Franchise Initiatives, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.
“Women Own the Room and the subsequent programs it has inspired throughout the industry are finally changing the narrative and Wyndham is proud to lead the way,” Barrett said.
Inspired by her mother, who grew her business of rental properties, film and television producer Christina Lambert joined the hotel industry in 2020. Lambert, one of the program’s founding members, and her mother were planning to acquire two hotels in Loveland, Colo., one of which needed a sizeable loan to close the deal. After being rejected by multiple lenders, one finally said yes.
Lambert soon joined Wyndham, a decision propelled by the company’s ability to provide one-on-one renovation support and the commitment to champion diverse ownership. She now owns two hotels — 50-room Travelodge by Wyndham and 49-room Baymont by Wyndham — which are performing considerably well.
Revenues for the Travelodge are up over 29% over the last two years, while the Baymont, which Lambert converted from a competitor brand in 2021, is up over 26% YOY, Wyndham said in a statement.
“Wyndham has played a pivotal role in my success as a first-time hotelier, which I credit not just to the accessibility and responsiveness of leadership, but their willingness to work with me on an individual basis to help my hotels thrive. Through Women Own the Room, Wyndham is actively investing in women and in doing so, they’re changing the face of the hotel industry,” Lambert said.
OTHER BENEFITS
Along with the benefits offered by Women Own the Room, Wyndham franchisees benefit from the Wyndham Advantage — which is an amalgamation of top-level marketing, distribution and other resources designed to help owners succeed.
Including more than $275 million in technology advancements in the last five years, owners have been provided access to technology from leading providers, such as next-gen property and revenue management systems, along with a growing member base of over 106 million Wyndham Rewards members globally.
With over 50,000 hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals, members of Wyndham Rewards make up almost half of all check-ins in the U.S. and on average, spend around twice as much as non-members, Wyndham said.