Wyndham Hotel Group, already among the largest players in the hospitality space, expanded their global presence early Thursday with the announcement that it had acquired Fën Hotels, a Latin American-based hotel company with 26 locations across the region, including Argentina, Costa Rica, Uruguay, and Paraguay.
"Wyndham Hotel Group's strength and significant scale as the company with more hotels globally than any other hotel company -- dramatically increases our distribution, immediately enabling us to grow faster not only in Argentina but also throughout the region ensuring more guests experience what Fën Hotels have to offer," said Patricio Fuks, Fën Hotels CEO and co-founder. "As we integrate the companies over the next eighteen months, becoming part of the Wyndham family of brands will enable our guests to have access to some of the most aspirational vacation experiences on earth thanks to Wyndham Rewards, Wyndham's unparalleled loyalty program, which makes redeeming free nights in hotels, condos and homes simple and attainable."
The addition of Wyndham Rewards gives Fën Hotels an immediate jumpstart on its customer loyalty efforts. The program has been touted across the market as an example of the benefits that come with simplicity in rewards.
Earlier this year, Wyndham’s Noah Brodsky, SVP of worldwide loyalty and engagement, and one of the largest voices behind the 2015 revamp of Wyndham Rewards told Loyalty360 about how the program appeals to new users. “The simplicity is important. Once people try our program, they are impressed with and appreciate the simplicity. Certainly, the aspirational nature of our rewards is also key. Members can go to any hotel that they want. This includes all of the top tier properties’ even at the highest peak seasons. There has been an incredibly positive response to that.”
The words from Brodsky are especially resonant in the wake of the Fën Hotels acquisition, with multitudes of new members coming to the program for the first time. The program has been dominant within the vertical, taking home awards from organizations across the loyalty space, including a 2016 Loyalty360 Platinum Award for their leveraging of customer insights.
With the opportunities allowed by the expansion, Wyndham is looking to tap into a new customer base. In order to retain these guests post-merge, Wyndham will need to live up to every bit of the reputation it’s earned in customer experience and loyalty.