Dive Brief:
- Wyndham Hotels & Resorts expanded its Wyndham Business program, launching rewards points for businesses with a new B2B extension of its loyalty program, the company announced Tuesday.
- Companies enrolled in the program can now earn points on business stays, in addition to the benefits already available to them, such as room discounts, direct billing and account support.
- The program’s expansion is Wyndham’s latest bid to drive direct bookings to franchisees amid positive growth trends for business travel, the company said.
Dive Insight:
The newly launched Wyndham Rewards Business offers perks for businesses of all sizes, “no matter their travel frequency,” the hotel company said.
As part of the program, employers can gift Wyndham Rewards Gold membership status to up to three employees annually, while still earning a point per dollar on qualifying spending. These company points are on top of any points individual business travelers accrue through their own rewards memberships.
Wyndham says these points can be used to offset further travel expenses in the form of free or discounted travel nights. The program also added new billing capabilities, which allow enterprises to bill rooms to corporate accounts and pay them in total once monthly.
Wyndham hopes to drive more direct business to its franchisees as business travel volumes continue to grow. The company expects the U.S.’s ongoing $1.5 trillion infrastructure spending boom will create a surge in business travel resulting in a $3.3 billion revenue opportunity for its franchisees over the next decade.
Hilton is also investing in digital tools for businesses. In October, the company announced Hilton for Business, which features a booking website designed for small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Half of travel buyers say their company will take more business trips in 2024 than in 2023, according to the Global Business Travel Association, and two-thirds anticipate their companies will increase their business travel spending this year.
Hotels remain the most popular lodging choice, as 71% of business travelers say they will likely choose hotels over other accommodations, according to a recent survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the American Hotel & Lodging Association.
