Wyndham Hotel Group has added benefits to its loyalty
program, one permanent and one temporary.
The company has made room rate discounts permanent, and the
company says its discounts will be deeper than what other hotel companies
offer.
Wyndham Rewards, through its Rewarding Rate initiative, will
offer 10% discounts for loyalty members who book direct or through a corporate travel
partner or approved travel agent. The company, which has about 53 million
loyalty members, says there are no prepayment requirements for the discounts.
Wyndham estimates that most hotel companies' discounts for
direct bookings are in the 5% range. The company offered direct-booking
discounts in 2016, but it was a temporary promotion.
Wyndham will also award 15,000 bonus points (the equivalent
of a free night) for loyalty members who book two stays through July 1. The
offer is capped at one free night per customer.
The new benefits complement existing Wyndham Rewards perks
such as the ability to earn points towards a free stay, suite upgrades, free
WiFi and early check-in privileges.
With hotel companies looking to pull market share away from
the OTAs, Wyndham's move follows similar initiatives from competitors. In early
2016, Marriott International began offering discounted rates for loyalty
members who book direct. That year, Hilton, Hyatt and InterContinental Hotels
Group also began offering discounts for loyalty members booking direct.
Wyndham Hotels Group has 21 brands, including Wyndham,
Wyndham Grand, Wyndham Garden, Tryp, Microtel, Hawthorn Suites, Ramada, Days
Inn and Travelodge.