Latest news with #MichaelShiwdin
Skift
21-05-2025
- Business
- Skift
Wyndham Launches Loyalty Program for 'Live Tourism' and Experiences
Wyndham is recognizing that its frequent guests like doing things, not just sleeping in rooms. Its loyalty members can now trade points for experiences like sold-out concerts and sports events. Wyndham launched a tool on Tuesday that enables members of its loyalty program to redeem points to attend live music concerts, major sports events, and other travel experiences. The new effort is called Wyndham Rewards Experiences and over 100 activities were available at launch, including ones from Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Minor League Baseball, and Caesars Rewards. This year, A Skift megatrend was about the growing demand for "live tourism." Wyndham hotel owners are also being given the ability to work with the franchisor directly to create property-specific packages and offerings centered around local events. Many of the experiences are offered as dynamic auctions, where members bid for the chance to get tickets to events, such as a sold-out Vans Warped Tour in Long Beach, California, and a Country Jam in Grand Junction, Colorado. In other cases, there are fixed-point totals for redemption, starting at 2,500 points each. (For reference, a stay at a typical Wyndham property often earns around 1,000 points.) Experience providers wanting to join Wyndham's platform by offering travel experiences as redemption options could work through the group's loyalty and partnerships team, led by Michael Shiwdin, a spokesperson said. Wyndham Rewards Experiences is powered on the backend by and affiliates. Tuesday's new effort is the first time the company has ventured into live tourism. Wyndham, which has 9,300 hotels, began offering tours and activities separately as part of vacation packages for sale on its site (with inventory from partners like online travel agency Viator) about five months ago. Wyndham said it has over 115 million members in its loyalty program and that one out of every two check-ins at a Wyndham hotel last year was by a member. Wyndham said that later this year, it would also adjust how it reimburses hotel owners for guest free-night stay redemptions. "A hotel that has both high quality and high occupancy is going to see a more generous reimbursement than a hotel that has high occupancy but only average quality," a spokesperson said. 2025 Is the Year Live Tourism Becomes Unstoppable When everything can be clicked, streamed or viewed online, it's the in-real-life-only moments that travelers now crave. From mega concerts to meteor showers, these events will be the driving force in travel in 2025. It's the age of Live Tourism. Read More What am I looking at? The performance of hotels and short-term rental sector stocks within the ST200. The index includes companies publicly traded across global markets, including international and regional hotel brands, hotel REITs, hotel management companies, alternative accommodations, and timeshares. The Skift Travel 200 (ST200) combines the financial performance of nearly 200 travel companies worth more than a trillion dollars into a single number. See more hotels and short-term rental financial sector performance. Read the full methodology behind the Skift Travel 200.
Associated Press
05-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Five Weeks of Five-Star Deals: Wyndham Rewards Celebrates Five Years of Member Month
Week one kicks off with a chance to earn up to two free nights; plus 7,500 additional bonus points for Wyndham Rewards Earner Cardholders PARSIPPANY, N.J., March 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Wyndham Rewards is back with its biggest celebration of the year: Member Month. Now in its fifth year, the annual celebration brings members five weeks of can't-miss deals, bonus points and exclusive discounts. With surprise rewards rolling in all month long, it's the ultimate time to book, earn and bring those dream trips to life. Kicking off week one, members can earn 7,500 Wyndham Rewards points when the stay two qualifying nights. Members can take advantage of the promotion twice for a total of up to 15,000 bonus points. That's enough for up to two future free nights at thousands of Hotels by Wyndham or a $50 gift card to shop at select retailers. For members with a Wyndham Rewards Earner Visa card, the perks get even sweeter: cardmembers who register and stay two or more nights (nights do not need to be consecutive) can earn an additional 7,500 points. 'Five years of Member Month calls for a five-star celebration – and this year, the world's most generous hotel rewards program is turning up the heat with offers that don't just reward but truly celebrate every member's wanderlust. From indulgent dream getaways to next-level experiences, Wyndham Rewards is putting its generosity on full display while making it easier than ever for members to enjoy the best our program has to offer.' – Michael Shiwdin, GVP of Guest Engagement, Loyalty & Partnerships, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Surprise Offers Unlocked Every Wednesday Every Wednesday at midnight EST, a new batch of weekly offers awaits at Members across the globe will have the opportunity to enjoy exclusive offers — even those who enroll during the window of the promotion. Offers are often among the most generous of the year and members can take advantage of multiple deals throughout the month, to maximize their rewards. Previous Member Months have offered members discounts on points purchases, special partner offers, access to trip sweepstakes, bonus points and more. Whether it's a lively family escape at Wyndham Grand Bonnet Creek in Orlando, a romantic retreat at the dazzling new Viva Miches, a Trademark All Inclusive Resort in the Dominican Republic, or a bold solo adventure at the Dolce by Wyndham Cesme Alacati in Türkiye, Member Month is a chance for Wyndham Rewards members around the globe to get the most of their membership—unlocking incredible deals and making unforgettable memories.
