Wyndham expands partnership with AWS

Today, Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), an Amazon.com, Inc. company announced a global collaboration with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc. the world’s largest hotel franchising company, to upgrade its technology infrastructure and develop and deliver new guest services across its 21 hotel brands—including Days Inn, La Quinta, Microtel, Ramada, Super 8, and Wyndham.

Moving to AWS enables Wyndham to enhance business performance, reinvest approximately 45% of reduced data center operating costs, and shut down additional physical datacenters, putting it on track to achieve its goal of running 90% of its infrastructure in the cloud. The announcement is part of Wyndham’s multiyear digital transformation and investment in technology that automates hotel reservations, supports its franchisees by helping simplify operations, and enhances the guest experience across Wyndham properties globally.

Wyndham began working with AWS in 2018 when it was spun off from Wyndham Worldwide and needed to quickly stand up its own IT infrastructure. The hotel company migrated its core reservation system, property management system, and data processing platform to AWS to more easily launch new services for franchisees and guests while also improving operational efficiency. Expanding its presence in the cloud will enable Wyndham to focus on growing its core hotel franchise business—seamlessly integrating new properties into its network—while leveraging AWS’s proven global infrastructure to help meet demand where it arises post-pandemic during the peak summer travel season.

For example, Wyndham will use AWS machine learning to help optimize over 90,000 daily rate changes across its approximately 9,000 hotels to help maximize occupancy rates that vary according to factors such as location, weather, and time of year. This will benefit Wyndham franchisees by helping them identify and offer the best rates, discounts, and stay rules appropriate for the geographic market, brand, and specific hotel. In addition, Wyndham will use AWS to develop new digital services for guests to automate check-in and leverage AWS partners to deliver customized offers during hotel stays, such as recommendations on local attractions, restaurants, and entertainment.

During COVID-19, Wyndham leveraged AWS technologies to provide flexibility for franchisees and guests, helping them navigate evolving safety protocols. For example, Wyndham was able to launch a housekeeping application in just a few weeks’ time to provide hotels with an updated checklist of protocols for cleaning staff. The app also gives franchisees the ability to run “last-rented” room reports to accommodate new guest requests to stay in rooms that have been vacant for more than 24 hours. Looking ahead, Wyndham will use AWS to remain agile and adapt to rapidly changing guest and market needs with plans to use AWS machine learning to drive demand with greater personalization and more timely and relevant guest offers.

“We are excited to expand our strategic relationship with AWS, the world’s leading and most comprehensive cloud provider, to create one-of-a-kind experiences for our guests and increase our operational efficiency on a global scale,” said Scott Strickland, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. “By moving the majority of our workloads to the cloud, Wyndham was able to rapidly respond to the changing business conditions brought on by COVID-19, and now we’re positioned to scale our operations as different parts of the world begin to reopen. The agility we have gained in moving to the cloud, thanks to AWS’s vast portfolio of cloud technologies, helps us expand our digital guest services and introduce new solutions and functionality for our franchisees in a matter of days rather than months.”

“The hotel industry has faced a series of rapid changes recently, yet by running on AWS Wyndham gains the insights and agility it needs to support its franchisees, transform its customer engagement, service, and business models, and remain an industry leader,” said Greg Pearson, Vice President, Worldwide Commercial Sales at Amazon Web Services, Inc. “Leveraging AWS’s proven operating experience, global infrastructure, and unparalleled portfolio of cloud capabilities, Wyndham has the ability to scale its operations to every corner of the globe and drive innovations across its digital channels. This collaboration is helping Wyndham to become an even more resilient organization that can meet customers’ ever-changing needs and build for what’s next.”