Owned by woman owner, Harneet Sandhu, the recently opened La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Spokane Downtown — Photo by Wyndham

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world's largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,000 hotels across nearly 95 countries, announced a new program, "Women Own the Room" designed to advance and empower female entrepreneurs who are interested in hotel ownership. Wyndham's Women Own the Room program is intended to be a resource to help overcome common barriers women face in hotel development and to help them effectively open and run their hotels. The program is built on the pillars of:

  • Delivering comprehensive financial solutions
  • Offering personalized operational guidance and support
  • Establishing an inclusive community for networking and education

"As the hotel industry resets and recovers from one of the most difficult periods in its history, we all have a unique opportunity to help advance and champion diversity in hospitality to help our industry prosper. At Wyndham - where diversity, equity, and inclusion are key cornerstones of our culture - we recognize the chance to do our part by helping to open more doors for women in our industry," said Chip Ohlsson, chief development officer, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

Commencing this fall, Wyndham will launch a series of events with topics to include:

  • Why the time is right for women to get into hotel development
  • How to select sites and perform feasibility assessments
  • Guidance and tips on securing financing for your hotel
  • Personal stories of female hotel developers that successfully broke the mold

"Wyndham is also committed to helping female owners secure financing through our network of debt and equity partners and will continue to explore and implement new and creative ways to support female hoteliers through the use of our balance sheet," said Michele Allen, chief financial officer, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

Together with these educational and networking events and commitment to use its balance sheet to support women hotel owners, Wyndham is also launching a development incentive program that will provide meaningful Wyndham financing, plus complimentary or expanded first-year operating services to support the success of hotels developed by women.

"Introducing more women entrepreneurs to hotel ownership is great for women, and great for our industry. Our industry is stronger with a variety of people that bring varying backgrounds and points of view. Programs like this move the industry forward," said Rosanna Maietta, President & CEO, American Hotel and Lodging Foundation.

Wyndham strives to maintain a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion across its organization, and the launch of this program to introduce more women to the hotel industry is a natural extension. For the third year in a row, the company received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign's Equality Index, designating Wyndham for leading in equality. The company was also named by DiversityInc as a noteworthy company for two consecutive years for its commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Considering developing a hotel? Get in touch to learn more here. To get involved and stay up-to-date on Women Own the Room's upcoming events, sign up here.

About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world's largest hotel franchising company by the number of properties, with approximately 9,200 hotels across over 95 countries on six continents. Through its network of approximately 872,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 24 hotel brands, including Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Microtel®, La Quinta®, Baymont®, Wingate®, AmericInn®, Hawthorn Suites®, Trademark Collection® and Wyndham®. The Company's award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty program offers over 106 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit www.wyndhamhotels.com.

The Company may use its website as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Disclosures of this nature will be included on the Company's website in the Investors section, which can currently be accessed at www.investor.wyndhamhotels.com. Accordingly, investors should monitor this section of the Company's website in addition to following the Company's press releases, filings submitted with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any public conference calls or webcasts.

About Wyndham Rewards

Named the number one hotel rewards program by readers of USA TODAY, Wyndham Rewards® is the world's most generous rewards program with more than 50,000 hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals worldwide.

Designed for the everyday traveller, members earn a guaranteed 1,000 points with every qualified stay and may redeem points for a wide range of rewards, including free nights at any of the approximately 9,100 hotels or tens of thousands of vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally through affiliation with Wyndham Destinations and others. Wyndham Rewards has over 103 million enrolled members globally. Join for free today at www.wyndhamrewards.com. You've earned this. ®

Scott Carman
Wyndham