Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is expanding franchisee relief measures by reducing breakfast requirements for its economy brands. These changes aim to "substantially" reduce breakfast expenses for economy owners. The new economy breakfast guidelines build on previous Wyndham franchisee relief measures that began in March 2020 and included multiple fee waivers and extensions as well as access to hospital-grade cleaning and safety products at reduced prices when these items were difficult to source early in the pandemic.
“We’ve always taken an owner-first approach to support our hotels,” said Scott LePage, president, the Americas, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. “Since the pandemic began, we’ve worked alongside our franchisees to help them step up their health, safety and service protocols to meet today’s guest expectations, and we are continually looking for even more ways to assist. Over the past two decades, the creeping cost of a free breakfast has had an impact on hotel profitability, particularly in the economy segment. The modifications we announced this week are based on extensive feedback from our owners, Franchise Advisory Councils and most importantly the guests we’ve surveyed on what they value most during their stay. They are changes that will help our owners reduce their operational costs while enabling them to continue to deliver on our Safe Stay initiatives and brand standards.”
Simpler Options, Reduced Costs
For the more than 3,000 Days Inn by Wyndham, Howard Johnson by Wyndham and Super 8 by Wyndham hotels in the U.S., the new breakfast requirements—which go in to effect July 1—have been simplified to include upgraded coffee and juice beverages, plus one prepackaged food item such as a granola bar or breakfast pastry. Travelodge by Wyndham will continue offering 24-hour beverage service.
For the Microtel by Wyndham, as well as its midscale and upper-midscale brands, Wyndham is evaluating breakfast options with a similar goal of reducing costs while maintaining guest satisfaction. Current COVID-related restrictions around breakfast remain in place for these hotels.