Travel bans are hitting Wyndham hard, but the group remains positive. (Photo: Wyndham)
Wyndham is working with several partners who have increased staffing need to help its furloughed employees.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, a group with around 9,300 hotels worldwide, is feeling the impact of COVID-19 in all markets.
We look at how the company is reacting to the drop in demand and occupancy and what it is doing to get through this crisis.
COVID-19 impact on Wyndham
Like other hotel operators large and small, Wyndham is also heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the group’s hotels around the world are temporarily closed. Others are offering reduced services due to the collapse of demand following global travel restrictions.
Mitigation measures taken by Wyndham
Ensuring the company stays liquid and makes it through the storm currently takes priority. To this end, Wyndham has been forced to implement reduced-hour work weeks and salary reductions for nearly half of its global corporate staff. Capital expenditures and non-essential business travel are also drastically being cut back.
Additionally, the group’s president and CEO is forgoing 100% of his salary and the board of directors is giving up 100% of its cash compensation until further notice.
Supporting staff in hard times
Since many hotels have temporarily suspended operations, Wyndham employees around the world have been furloughed. To support staff with finding temporary, full-time or part-time jobs to make ends meet during the crisis, Wyndham is working with several partners who have an increased staffing need during this time.
These companies include Albertsons, Amazon, Walgreens, Senior Living Works and several more. The American Hotel & Lodging Association is supporting this by also listing relevant job opportunities on its website.
“In such difficult and destabilizing times, it’s more important than ever for businesses to come together to help serve those who need us most,” said Mary Falvey, chief administrative officer at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.
“Our team members are the best of the best – their passion for hospitality makes them ideal candidates to help fill these essential positions on a temporary basis. We’re grateful to partner with other leading companies who recognize and celebrate the skill set and service these team members can provide while the hotel industry works to overcome the impact of this crisis.”
Generous policies for guests
Since many travellers now find themselves having booked trips they no longer can or want to take, Wyndham has changed its cancellation policy to reflect the current situation.
Guests booking directly via Wyndham’s website through May 31st 2020, will not face any cancellation or rebooking fees if their request is received at least 24 hours before the arrival date.
New or existing bookings for stays after May 31, 2020 have a similarly generous policy where cancellations or changes are free if they are requested at least 48 hours before the arrival date and the same number of room nights or more are reserved for a future date.
Wyndham is the world’s largest hotel franchising company, with approximately 9,200 hotels across more than 80 countries on six continents.