Honoring the Everyday Heroes of COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we hope that you and your loved ones are staying safe, staying healthy and staying home.

Today we want to recognize the people who are not able to stay home. The everyday heroes who are helping the rest of us stay safe. The people who are keeping our stores, hospitals and streets clean. The people who are delivering food and essential products to our doorsteps. The people who are stocking shelves and assisting customers at supermarkets. And of course, the tireless health care professionals who are directly helping COVID-19 patients battle this terrible disease.

Today we’re announcing the launch of our #EverydayHeroes initiative, offering all essential workers on the front lines of COVID-19 instant complimentary Gold membership upgrades in our award-winning loyalty program, Wyndham Rewards?. Gold membership provides everyday travelers with a host of meaningful benefits including members-only discounts, a dedicated member services line, preferred rooms, accelerated points earning and late checkout. Eligible workers—including, but not limited to, truck drivers, delivery drivers, warehouse workers, construction workers, sanitation workers, grocery associates and of course, healthcare workers—may claim their upgrades by visiting www.wyndhamrewards.com/heroes. The offer is available to both new and existing Wyndham Rewards members.

We’re humbled to honor such a deserving group of individuals: everyday people who have been performing herculean tasks in the face of danger. This is one small way we can help make their next trip – whether it be to visit loved ones, friends, or simply to get away—as special as it deserves to be. They’ve earned it.

In addition to our commitment to these everyday heroes, we’d also like to share some of the other commitments we’re making during this unprecedented time.

Our Commitment to our Communities

Wyndham’s hotels and staff continue to find ways to give back to their local communities. Some are providing free or discounted rooms to doctors and nurses, donating cleaning supplies and protective equipment, or opening unused kitchens to help feed those in need. Many of our partner charities, such as Save the Children and Clean the World, are also helping to fight the burdens of COVID-19. For those interested in supporting these wonderful organizations, Wyndham Rewards point donations can be made here.

Our Commitment to our Team Members

In the past two weeks, we have been forced to make some of the most difficult, heartbreaking decisions any of us have made in our careers. We’ve had to eliminate jobs, reduce salaries, and shorten work weeks for many of our corporate team members, and we’ve had to furlough a number of our hotel-level team members as we closed several of our managed hotels. To support our displaced team members during this difficult time, we’ve partnered with several organizations to provide access to job opportunities in other industries. Our team members’ passion for hospitality and their commitment to outstanding customer service makes them ideal candidates to help fill these essential positions. We’re grateful that so many other companies appreciate what they have to offer. Learn more here.

To further assist our teams, we’ve asked our partners and members of the Wyndham family to contribute to the Wyndham Relief Fund, which was developed many years ago to support team members facing extreme financial hardships due to unforeseen situations like this one. So far we’ve been able to support thousands of our team members since the start of this pandemic, and we’re thankful to all who have joined the cause. For more information on how to donate to the fund, click here.

Our Commitment to our Franchisees

This is also an incredibly difficult time for our thousands of franchised hotel owners. This industry is their livelihood, and they are facing financial pressures like never before. We’ve taken a number of proactive measures to help them during this period, including fee waivers and deferrals, and we’re providing them with tools and resources to help them access new governmental loans wherever possible.

Our Commitment to Health and Safety

The health and safety of our guests, team members and staff is a top priority. Across the globe, many of our hotels are open and ready to welcome guests, and we’re supporting them as they do. We have provided our hotels with guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detailing how to identify COVID-19 symptoms and mitigate its transmission. We’ve also made training available to help hotels achieve the highest standards of cleanliness, disinfection and hygiene.

Our Commitment to Travel Flexibility

Whether you are modifying a reservation or planning for brighter days ahead, you can book with confidence. Our policy waives cancellation or change penalties for stays through June 30, 2020 with 24 hours’ notice. For stays after June 30, hotels will waive change penalties on 48 hours’ notice. You can learn more about these polices here and easily make most changes via your account page on WyndhamRewards.com.

Our Commitment to Wyndham Rewards Members

Your points and benefits are safe and ready for travel when you are. All Wyndham Rewards members globally who are currently Gold, Platinum or Diamond will automatically have their Member Level extended through December 31, 2021. Additionally, we are pausing the expiration of any Wyndham Rewards points until September 30, 2020.

These are unprecedented times. And while this is our new reality, we know it is temporary. The time to travel will return, and when it does, Wyndham will be there to welcome you.

We look forward to seeing you at one of our hotels soon.

Sincerely,

Geoff Ballotti?

President and Chief Executive Officer

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts